DUNGEON MESHI Is My New Best Friend

[@cedricwine]

The mangaka literally stated that dungeon meshi can only be adapted after she's done with the story. She didn't want the adaption to be just a bait for people to read the manga. She want people to be able to enjoy a story by just watching the anime adaptation.

[@geebeepman]

knowing this now just makes me love dungeon meshi even more because I'm relieved that they're not gonna pull a no game no life on us; along with many other anime that just abruptly stopped.

[@gabyrivera1731]

@@geebeepmanthe manga is already complete.

[@kekero540]

She’s very quickly becoming one of my favorite mangaka the more I learn about her

[@genericname2747]

She is so cool

[@voidboi2831]

my favourite fact is that she's apparently a picky eater and wouldnt eat the food in the story

[@patrickbasedman270]

You WILL eat the bugs, you WILL delve the dungeon, you WILL be happy

[@vincentflannigan2727]

based, man

[@bornanime3255]

Roasted bugs are a snack food where I'm from. I see this as a win.

[@ingridnvdal5179]

Covering some notes I disagreed on :') 1. They're not "dilly dallying", they're going to one of the lowest floors known, in record time, aka one week. Also, they're not panicking because the behavior of a red dragon is to sleep most of the time because of their size, but because of the mad mage's order, it's awake and digesting. If it was asleep they'd have a good amount of time on them to kill it, and her body would still be somewhat in-tact (the plan was never to use ancient magic). 2. The threat of dying is very much real. If you're eaten by something that digest tings at a normal speed, or if your mage is killed and are unable to find another one, it could be the end for them. 3. Ancient magic is not inherently "evil", it's just called "dark magic" because of the way it affects the mind(see Marcille going mad after over using it (explaining the mad mage's behavior)) 4. Izutzumi is technically a teenage slave mixed with a big cat, so expecting her to be loyal is a stretch. (They legit put a curse on her to kill her if she acts out of line 💀) Sorry if this came off as aggressive, it's just that every review seems to miss these parts ;-; (Btw, season 2 plot goes CRAZY, trust me bro)

[@starburst98]

You seemed to have missed the part where they say the dragon has an extremely slow digestion speed when it is sleeping. Which it is normally doing 99% of the time people reach that floor. The fact it was awake and walking around when they got down there was a huge surprise to them.

[@michaelcreel6522]

This is true. I wonder if Trigger should have put more emphasis on this and had the character walk through reasoning a little more because details like this are absorbed much easier reading the manga. Also they got there in 9 days. Even if they doubled the duration of their eating shenanigans, it should have made no difference at all, excluding the unforseen circumstances with the Dungeon Lord.

[@ponycai]

Indeed! Laios was 100% correct about the dragon's nature but he didn't know that it was manipulated by the mad mage

[@edamame1879]

i watched many reactors and many also missed this...

[@billlee3851]

​@@edamame1879yeah when you're busy talking over the show constantly it's a usual occurence

[@billlee3851]

​@@michaelcreel6522 even so it's can still be inferred that Laios was correct because Shuro's party was actually behind despite him starting around the same time and speedrunning through the floors.

[@Detoxpain]

Marcille being proficient in dark magic and nobody knowing is pretty well played out in the fact that as soon as when anyone finds out she is immediately demonized even though she only used her skills for good and explained that it's just perspective. Also they point out in episode 1 that resurrection isn't guaranteed and is only even possible because the dungeon binds souls to the body, which we later find out was a side effect of the mage trying to make his king and people immortal

[@bachtrinh8783]

Marcille's dark magic is not too hinted at the beginning But the reason is quite clear in the nightmare episode when you learn she is finding all the ways to prevent the inevitable

[@TheDresden101]

I kinda rolled my eyes at "it sure is convenient she's a dark mage" as if a character having an unusual ability or hidden side that the plot has ample time to explore is a plot contrivance and not just good writing. Dungeon Meshi is amazing and Marcille is best elf.

[@animdalf9178]

@@bachtrinh8783 The biggest hint I can think of at that point is probably the backstory episode with her and Falin at the university. She says she wants to create artificial dungeon that would be safe to gather ingredients in, and thanks to Falin realises that she'll need a lot more knowledge to be able to design it properly. It's just that at that point we don't know that it means the study of Ancient Magic.

[@monoverantus]

Huge appeal of Dungeon Meshi is that it's actually funny. Not "funny for an anime" but legit funny.

[@michaelcreel6522]

Yeah. I don't watch a lot of anime at all, but this is the first anime I have seen where the comedy was a major factor of enjoyment for me. I can confirm from the manga as well that the humor only gets better from here.

[@monoverantus]

@michaelcreel6522 I think it's common for anime fans to struggle with the humor at first, then gradually learn to recognize the common tropes (boke/tsukkomi, puns, running gags, etc) until you feel like you've crossed the cultural barrier. But then a show like Dungeon Meshi comes around and you suddenly realize that you've gaslit yourself into enjoying crap.

[@bridgethings4225]

It might be the funniest anime I've ever seen.

[@bornanime3255]

I'm of a similar mind. Although I find only about close to half the jokes make me actually laugh. Still, that's more than most anime so it's a good feat. As a kid I never knew I was meant to laugh at jokes in cartoons. So I rarely ever laughed and didn't think this was a bad thing. I registered in my mind when I saw a joke that "Oh, that's pretty funny" most of the time and thought that was more than enough. It's only in layers years that I learned laughter of the point of most comedy and it's a failing if you don't laugh much.

[@julius-ceasar]

@@michaelcreel6522 ONE’s mangas have exquisite humour, watch mob psycho it’s really funny and also a masterpiece

[@triplesocks]

Izutsumi's not supposed to be a "loyal retainer" to Shuro, she literally had a collar spell on her that would kill her if she didn't stay in line, and they didn't care enough to look for her when she ran away.

[@BestGuyEver]

Good point tbh, tho that makes you wonder why they even bring her when shes so unreliable. In any case still annoying lol.

[@nicholashandy5964]

@@BestGuyEverthey enslaved her because she was some freak mutant in the mountains. They made her hide her face while in there presence. I would not call her unreliable for running away from that situation. Love your vids tho man

[@Drad_]

​@@BestGuyEverShe is reliable... As long as she has the metaphorical magical gun to her head. Also she is 17 and probably had a reeealy bad childhood. Makes sense she is immature

[@kamatz83]

@@Drad_ Shuro's dad bought her for Maizuru, his mistress from a freak show where she was displayed. She's considered a pet rather than a person. So you're right, she had a really bad childhood.

[@Conflict-ff5pi]

@@BestGuyEver I think you got too hung up on the idea of her being a ninja and it gave you a completely different impression of what and who she is. She worked with Shuro and the others because she was forced to, not because she wanted to. They took her along because she's extremely good at fighting (see is the only retainer who survived the encounter with Falin). She was another competent pair of hands, and they kept her in line with that bomb they strapped to her neck, but when she left they didn't care much because she didn't offer anything unique. Honestly you kind of did the same thing with Marcille. Too hung up on the surface level first impression, so when they did things that ran counter to that impression (using ancient magic) you saw that as a flaw in the writing, instead of them showing off who they actually are.

[@Seecada]

Izutsumi is literally a teenage slave lmao. She also ties heavily into those themes of "doing things you dont like to get what you want" and is also a cat.

[@noneedbruh5215]

Cats dont deserve rights 🤠

[@joxerrrrr]

All that is true, but she is still annoying and ruins them vibes.

[@chrowx]

Every anime secondary conveniently ignores the parts where they explain that the red dragon is supposed to be asleep and that means they have more time before Falin is irrecoverably digested. By the time they hear the Red Dragon is on the move, when it shouldn't be, they start moving with more haste.

[@Yappacino124]

Weren't the party relaxed about going through the dungeon because they expected the dragon to be dormant and non-active so they expected the her body to still somewhat be intact?

[@salceds]

Yeah, most people don't realize they were going very fast

[@PurpleH4z3]

manga puts more emphasis on that, in the anime it was mention like 2 or 3 times so the small brained anime watcher will not be able to get little details like that

[@bachtrinh8783]

That, plus the fact that they are all veteran adventurers, so they in a way, treated this like just another day raid They didn't expect they would trigger the mad mage whom they never met before

[@billlee3851]

Yeah and the anime youtuber doesn't catch that. Ahhh the lols

[@bachtrinh8783]

That's also the reason floor 1 - 3 is so low stake, those monsters are easy for them

[@bachtrinh8783]

A sign to know that the author knew where the story is going from the start, is the architecture of the dungeon Winged Lion statues everywhere, starting from ep 3 with the main boss armor design, then random fountains on the wall, and the image on the coin bug, ...

[@ponycai]

The first appearance of winged lion statues was actually in ep2 where Chichuck deals with the traps

[@kamatz83]

People who complain the party took their sweet time going for Falin have never walked a really long distance within a time limit. You need to pace yourself and rest enough to make it in one piece. Shuro's weariness shows how hard it is to go to the city level. He did the speed run without eating and resting and he still made it DAYS after Laios' party. Laios and company fought the dragon, slept a night, faced Thisle and spend a night with the orcs, got lost, had to stay put while Marcille was turned to stone for 3 days, and only then Shuro was able to reach the same level. Laios' party reached the dragon the fastest anyone could and they did it without sacrificing their health.

[@bachtrinh8783]

I think it is the warped sense of time is the factor You have 25 minutes per episode consists of fighting monster + Cooking But that is not the entire day, cooking only lasts ~1 hour Means an episode only shows a very small fraction of their day Other 23 hours of them "offscreen" walking and sleeping

[@merobiba413]

not to mention the fact that the party thought the dragon would be sleeping for a long time (as is normal for red dragons after a meal), and therefore the digestion would've been significantly slower

[@fandomcake5158]

I was wondering halfway through that segment if this was a meme rant and not not actually him thinking the author didn't consider all of that while writing illustrating the manga.

[@hugehuman1]

I don't go for catgirls, but Izutsumi is just the best. Cats are assholes, after all. She nails that.

[@BestGuyEver]

Dog guy here, clearly we've isolated the issue. 😔

[@ponycai]

she is the cattest cat I have ever seen in any anime. I'd call her a girlcat

[@masonrockwood7732]

​@@BestGuyEverThe most basic-bitch pet to own. I'm into snakes myself.

[@shadicpro21]

Fun Fact: Both Marcille and Frieren share the same French dub VA (Marie Nonnenmacher), she even made a post on her Linkedin profile about it where she said "I guess 2024 is the year of Elves for me".

[@Caza27]

May God forgive her for being French. 😔

[@ebunnyzappa]

@@Caza27 that shouldn’t have made me laugh as hard as it did! 😂

[@choroyexplota]

Yeah who cares about frogs

[@pablocasas5906]

The same thing happens in the Latin American Spanish dub, both Frieren and Marcille are voiced by Erika Ugalde, who is also well known for voicing characters like Go Go Tomago in Big Hero 6 and Disgust in Inside Out

[@leggotheeggodemon1323]

@@Caza27 We

[@salceds]

None of their food is fancy though, every attempt to make and collect food was necessary even if it was successful or not. And necromancy being studied by Marcille isn't "conveniently placed" considering she's very interested about dungeons and she's weird about death and aging, I feel like every single review of this show misjudges her like this from the start even if it gets clarified later on in said review

[@PurpleH4z3]

its just that they arent accostume to complex characters that have more than 1 character trait and dont have their complet back story infodumped the moment we meet them

[@raiboodie]

tbh almost the video was a pretty big misread from the creator as he missed many details that were very much explained and hinted through out the show

[@billlee3851]

3:06 one more reason they take their time to save Falin is that it's known dragons sleep a lot and digest their food slowly. As a matter of fact they only wake up to hunt once per month. But what actually happened this time was, the dragon was active all this time and has been moving around for a reason that's revealed in the second cord. Basically they were just very unlucky... It's something outside of their control soooooooo it's not really their fault. And the funny thing is, they actually arrive *before* Shuro despite the guy practically speedrunning through the dungeon without eating or sleeping.

[@makito106]

Bro was banished after a elf show and he returns with an elf show

[@JustAPokemonCommentingOnVideos]

common nate W

[@moralesfox]

I´m sorry Frieren bros but i doubt we´ll ever gonna see the ending of that thing. We are not even in the final arc and the authors have already took a lot of breaks the last two years, and now is on hiatus for who knows how long. It´s so over, like Berserk levels of being over. Meanwhile Dungeon Meshi had an amazing run, wrapping up very satisfyingly with an absolute banger of an ending. So yeah i think the winner is clear, in this totally random duel that only exists because both anime adaptations aired the same season for no reason at all. DUNGEON MESHI!!! AAAAAH DUNGEON MESHI !!!!!

[@PurpleH4z3]

also the story has gone stale in the manga, like we got a time travel mini arc and even that didnt felt impactful.... honetly the writter is probably out of ideas and is taking breaks because he doesnt know where to take the story anymore

[@TLM_Aoi]

@@PurpleH4z3 I really don't have any problems with the Goddess' Monument arc though plus the ongoing arc is shaping up to be as good or much better than the Golden Land arc There's also a lot of factors why mangakas often have breaks Your comment seems to be disrespecting the creators by assuming things without knowing what's really happening on their side The story is not even done yet

[@yaboi7232]

@@PurpleH4z3 okay saying the goddess monument arc is bad is kinda reaching a bit. i agree that it isn't as good as the golden land arc but its still a solid 7/10 arc

[@PurpleH4z3]

@@TLM_Aoi i have alredy concluded that we are in a komi-san situation where the author doesnt want, care or know how to progress the story/characters and is staling whit poinless arcs about new side characters. I have being reading since the first chapter was translated but the time travel arc was the tiping point for me, it made me drop the manga

[@moralesfox]

@@PurpleH4z3 I think the problem is that everything is still in development. We need at least an arc to establish what the demons want to do, and how, and why, and probably another one to show the fight with the Demon Lord, plus the final arc that wraps the story up. Plus a bunch of miscellaneous chapters about food, old statues, random old people, Fern x Stark shipping, etc. That´s at least 10 volumes of content, and we have a pair of authors that gives all the impression that are either in very poor health, or just not very interested in continuing the story. Like, they made two chapters dedicated to a some ship, and then they go on hiatus. Like wtf. So yeah, i´m losing hope. Maybe they are planning how to continue the story but i´m very skeptical about the whole thing.

[@postcaesar4564]

Contrary to popular outcry, our party wasn’t slow to get Falin back. Dragons have really slow digestion because they’re meant to be asleep over half the time. Despite that, in episode ONE when Laios tells the party he’s diving right back into the dungeon, they ask why so soon and it’d be reckless to do so, hence why they resort to eating monsters. When Shuro’s group eventually catches up, they’re surprised by how quickly Laios and gang got to their current floor. The show tells you very clearly that the pace our party is going on is effective but people just like to point fingers I guess. Though to be fair, there was ONE instance of wasted time when they needed to wait for Marcile to turn back from stone. If that was avoided then maybe there’d be chunks of meat holding Falin’s skeleton together, idk

[@LunarJaguar]

You're absolutely right, but I'd like to point out that the living paintings part could also be considered "wasted time" however, that section is INCREDIBLY important when expanding on lore and character for specifically the mad mage, so it's not something you can cut out (not that anyone wants it cut anyway)

[@ViviBuchlaw]

Please remember that them "taking their sweet time" was only about a week, according to the Adventure's Bible (And Myself, someone crazy enough to track the in story days), which is pretty quick, all things considered. You also neglect the fact that Dragons sleep most of the time, slowing their digestion, which is explained in the first episode. You cant just crawl through a dungeon all day- you have to take care of yourself or you wont be good enough to fight a dragon, AKA the point of the freaking show. As an Autistic who forgets their basic needs and hyperfixates on a task for days at a time, no breaks, I can say that this show has tangibly helped me realise how bad it is to do that, and Im healthier for it

[@graylightning4181]

Not even 20 seconds in and we already have a classically trained jazz gentlemen jumpscare

[@wekashipo7507]

You're gonna fucking love season 2. Dungeon Meshi only gets better as it goes.

[@TheJiminatorHS]

My flaming hot take is that DM is the best fantasy story to come from anime since either FMA or Berserk. Espeically how it builds up. Basically, DM is what if you took a look at a standard D&D world, then autistically over analyzed it. Season 2, if it covers the rest of story, will be so fucking hype.

[@TheJiminatorHS]

the show is about survival and life itself, and the villains are obsessed with staving off death and the fear related to it.

[@happyd5192]

I don't agree about it being the best, but I think it's a hell of a lot better than Frieren

[@ma.2089]

@@happyd5192 it’s a preference thing that’s for sure. But I think we can say that cuz like FMA it’s finished. Re zero is pretty good too, but I can’t say definitively cuz it’s unfinished. That’s said, got some suggestions? I know about Witch Hat Atelier but I’m looking for new fantasy.

[@happyd5192]

@ma.2089 I think the setting, character designs, and music just aren't as good or interesting in Frieren (compared to FMA), so I don't think there's anything that can reasonably be done on those fronts to surpass FMA, among many others. I've read some of Witch Hat anf I thought it was very enchanting, and the anime trailer that dropped yesterday looks good as well (although doing justice to the manga art is pretty much impossible).

[@michaelcreel6522]

I have seen on at least two other occasions people say "Berserk was my favorite manga until Dungeon Meshi" so you have some company. I have not read Berserk, so Idk.

[@BradfordCarter]

I get why you don't like Izutsumi, but you're arguing character consistency for an actual child. She's like this because she's an impulsive teenager who only really cares about her own predicament.

[@BestGuyEver]

Fair! Tbh I expect them to mellow her out a bit over the story.

[@ma.2089]

@@BestGuyEver she’s does! She genuinely chills out a lot

[@mangocookie4790]

​@@BestGuyEver she does exactly that

[@emmetth3726]

Dungeon Meshi is probably the anime I’m most likely to introduce to non anime fans it’s hella impressive.

[@raizatheartist9592]

“izuitsumi is a brat” if I was a teen forced into a body I don’t want and all I knew is hate and people taking advantage of me by putting me in a death leash then I too will be a selfish asshole

[@drfoto2673]

I'm not a huge fan of the catgirl either, but that's solely from a personality perspective and not a writing perspective. She's the most faithful representation of what the combination of cat and teenage girl would be: an absolute gremlin asshole. I also like the slow progression and growth of her character. In regard to the first half of the show, I also disagree. They mentioned fairly early on that the expected time for Fallin to be digested in the dragon was around three months. The whole premise of eating monsters was born out of the desperation of them actually wanting to get there as soon as possible. The faffing about is just Laios and Senshi trying to make the best of the current situation. If you are going to cook and eat monsters to survive, you might as well make them tasty. Fallin would not have had higher chances of being saved if they had just tried to rush things.

[@FafliXx]

Surprisingly, I majorly disagree with you. I think the characters of Dungeon Meshi were great from the start, for one, but I also think it's tonally perfectly fitting that the main group isn't overly serious all the time. That's the whole message of the show. Or part of it at least. Characters like Kabru are actively portrayed as borderline psychopaths. The show does this very well. every time he's on screen, he is incredibly off putting, like he might start stabbing someone at any moment, just for him to put on a creepy fake smile and act all nice. Obviously that's interesting in itself, but it only even works *because* we are used to Laios group, who are nothing like that. In Frieren, Kabru would not stand out at all, because half the cast (including both Frieren and Fern), have similar vibes, but it's never addressed or acknowledged for anyone other than Übel. At the same time, the world of Dungeon Meshi is actually a lot less forgiving and "fantasy adventure convenient". Like, they just stayed in some cabin for months without preparing for it, and didn't run out of food? Both shows are doing a "you should enjoy the journey and take detours, not just rush towards the end" approach. But Dungeon Meshi actually commits to it. The world is cruel and hard to survive in. Monsters can kill you in a single moment of carelessness. But the main cast still makes sure to enjoy themselves, and not let the grim reality bring them down. Which is off putting to others around them. Because the point is that this is what makes them special. They're not the ones who will conquer the dungeon because they are the most serious monster slayers with superior fighting skills. If that was all it took, someone else would have done it by now. They will do it because they care about the Dungeon and it's rules. To go up some levels of analysis, I think this shows both the authors greater commitment, as well as better planning. Ryoko Kui wanted to write Dungeon Meshi, and had a plan from the start. She cares about fantasy and worldbuilding a ton. She thought through every character's role in the world and story. Meanwhile Frieren feels more like an accident. Which makes sense considering it was meant to be a gag manga. This also mirrors in the main characters: Frieren happens to be strong. It's not actually part of her character. She happens to be basically immortal, so she sat in a forest for 1000 years to train her magic. Very anime, very boring let's be honest. And that's part of the point: she herself got bored of it and doesn't seem to care about her strength. Just like the author never seemed to really care about Frieren the story. It's a story he wrote because it's his job, and he's pretty good at it. Meanwhile Laios is strong because he cares. He didn't spend ages training in solitude. He "trained" by doing what he loves: Learing more about monsters. Frieren didn't get strong because she enjoys casting powerful magic. She got strong because she wants to kill demons. Laios got strong because he loves monsters. He's not born with some special power others don't have. He's not born with insane talent. He just loves what he's doing.

[@kneerow3]

I LOVE THIS COMMENT. This is why dungeon meshi is pea

[@lilithpyrope476]

THANK YOU.

[@vamperjr1376]

realest comment

[@chewch9987]

Funny. Despite Laios them taking their sweet time, they still reach the red dragon first before Shuro the serious samurai.

[@FelonyArson]

6:38 The thing about Marcille is that she tries to uphold that innocent law abiding image to others a little to hard. In retrospect it makes sense. When someone knows a little too much about copyright, you know they are pirating shit

[@m4skolov]

bro, thought the stakes in meshi are not world ending level xd

[@josepass2563]

Shhhhhh 🤫

[@billlee3851]

Evangelion level even 💀

[@daneespenocilla]

Yet.

[@EteamProductions]

Season 2 CANNOT come fast enough

[@ZanathKariashi]

Eh the world was never in any danger of ending. But I'm sure after awhile people would really wish it could.

[@mastermuffles7097]

6:46 That's... the point Its called a subversion of expectations. You don't expect this cheery and bright elf girl to secretly be a *fucking necromancer*

[@tomjack1000000]

Dungeon Meshi is the first show I've given 10/10 in the last 5 years. Peak Cinema

[@someoneawesome8717]

15:01 she was a cat given a human form, of course she's a brat, also she no longer has to be a ninja because she essentially had her shock collar removed

[@rinseyong5202]

I mean every character in the main cast appears archetypical at first, and then subverts expectations in some way. Laios is a basic human fighter, but he's also the weirdest guy in the group. Marcille is a stuck up by-the-book elf mage, but she also dabbles in black magic and is begrudgingly willing to use any means necessary in order to achieve their goal. Chilchuck is a grouchy rogue who's actually the most anal about rules and routine, and also cares deeply about his friends and the mistreatment of halflings. Senshi is a dwarf barbarian who's essentially a hippie. Izutsumi is a mysterious ninja who turns out to be an unholy mix of teenage girl and feral cat.

[@stickpeoplegamedudes]

I think it's interesting that a main point of your comparison was finding the characters to be a strength of Frieren and a weakness of Dungeon Meshi when I think it's the opposite. Like you said, the mage exam arc in Frieren feels weak because the new characters just aren't very interesting without the context and plot that the core cast has backing them. Meanwhile, DM can go for entire episodes without Laios and company appearing, and it doesn't matter because everyone else has interesting shit going on too. also ty for bringing up twinkling ash, i love it to pieces

[@bachtrinh8783]

Episode 14 Kabru I think was a huge gamble He surely had a rough start compared to the already well established main party Having an entire episode for him to catching up, I think it is just the author's flex on writing

[@CaitNightz]

I don't think Marcille knowing dark magic is that convenient. She has a really pragmatic view of magic, so I don't think is that surprising she'd also learn "dark magic". Also, this kind of spells are still a taboo within Dungeon Meshi, and I don't think it would be very intelligent from Marcille to spill it out unless necessary, since that could (and does) damage the team dynamics and the perception that other adventurers have of her

[@reviewspiteras]

Ubel indeed is that kind of girl that rejects the existence of God but still identifies as a wicca and to make matters worse she thinks she is a descendent from Lilith(yes, I have met that kind of girl)

[@nowhereman6019]

I tried reading Frieren first. It was interesting, but a bit boring. It's a "vibes" based manga that makes you feel relaxed and comfy in this world. But there wasn't much interesting in the characters or story. Like Frieren herself, it's flat. Then I read Dungeon Meshi, and it grabbed me, hugged me, and offered me delicious food immediately. Every aspect of the story, it's characters, and the world are so wonderfully thought out and deep. The characters are all very unique and realistic, with quirks that make them stand out while also making them hilarious and loveable. I knew as soon as we got to the Golems chapter that I was in love with this manga.

[@pepsimilkhotel]

So true

[@zero-pl3tt]

Hm, maybe i'll check out the manga then, i tried getting into the anime because a friend recommended it but i had pretty much the exact same reaction as Nate to the first part of the show and just couldn't get into it.

[@PurpleH4z3]

@@zero-pl3tt the dungeon meshi manga is great, the art is beutifull and there are mane little details, like there is an extra page dedicated only to the 12 steps that marcille takes to make her hairstyle every morning, or the page where it shows how every character wuld look being a diferent race and you can clearly distinguish whos who, it just show how much care and effort went in to every detail

[@TLM_Aoi]

"But there wasn't much interesting in the characters or story" so you only read 60 chapters or less? 'Cause everything beyond chapter 60 is interesting to me

[@nowhereman6019]

@@TLM_Aoi I really didn't get that far *because* what I had read didn't really interest me or inspire me to keep reading.

[@whimsycottt]

I like character writing the most in my stories, and Frierens characters dont really talk like people. Whereas Dungeon Meshi actually feels like a group of real people, albiet heavily exaggerated in some cases. Izutsumi is also a cat and a teenaged girl, so her acting like a brat is intentional. Shes like a 16-17 cat girl who actually cats like a cat instead of a "Nya~" fake cat.

[@dvillines26]

Izutsumi was essentially a slave wearing a bomb collar. She acted the role of the ninja because she had no choice, but the moment she manages to ditch the person holding her leash, her true nature as an actual cat-girl comes out. that is to say, she is an accurate representation of how a cat-human hybrid would really behave. lmao cats are such assholes.

[@June-tv1zr]

Izutsumi isn't supposed to be a silent ninja, she's just a literal cat!!! From the independence to the entitlement certain people perceive in cats, she's an actual catgirl down to the very basics of the term (also I felt Very uncomfortable when you said Princess pussy It wasn't cool

[@kneerow3]

REAL like it was a bit unnecessary

[@lionohday5197]

The Anime hasn't adapted the supplemental material and cut some of the more in depth lore explanations that help flesh things out. With any luck Season 2 might add back in those elements, but I doubt it. Regardless in season 2 you'll get more back story on the main cast that helps flesh them out more and more. It will be kino and it will dope. Laios really is a giga chad.

[@ma.2089]

They could. Especially since season 2 will be shorter due to the length of what’s left to adapt.

[@kneerow3]

@@ma.2089The chapters are wayyyy longer than some chapters in Season 1 though. Either they’ll adapt those important stuff (hooray), keep it short but give love to the action scenes and make em longer + eventful (hooray) or BOTH! (which is what i want)

[@DongusKongus]

Having read the manga and loved it, including the ending, and having loved Trigger's adaptation so far, its been a long time since I've looked forward to something as much as season 2 of Meshi. Here's hoping we all make it to then in good health bros

[@TheJiminatorHS]

I was worried trigger would go too over the top being trigger (ep 3 was really close), but they've done an excellent job just adding enough spice and letting the story and original style breathe.

[@Alekai_]

AAAAAAAAAAH DUNGEON MESHI

[@randbrannigan2590]

I'm just glad it's a complete story and finished. Great story with a satisfying ending.

[@rinseyong5202]

It really seems like the description of the show "coming into its own" is just you finally deciding to actually meet the story on its own terms. The same thing you're praising about the second half of the show is true for the first; a balanced contrast of lighthearted cooking shenanigans and darker high stakes drama. Of course a contrast like that would be jarring at first, but immediately writing it off as tonal dissonance and continuing to think of it as such even after it's clearly established that it's intentional and serving one of the core themes of the story just doesn't make sense to me. Also it's been said but Laios was correct about how dragon digestion works, and they would have been fine, even ahead of schedule if the dragon wasn't being controlled by the mad mage. Even then, the way Laios expresses his concern and care for his sister (or doesn't) is baffling to other characters IN UNIVERSE, so wow idk I wonder if that could be an aspect of his character that is intentionally being explored by the narrative or something.

[@connorjohnson8590]

10:38 Heh. Great review! As a manga reader, I can say with confidence that the ending to Dungeon Meshi is the conceptual embodiment of SATISFYING. It takes all the previous plot points, details, and characters we've met so far, and like ingredients in the hands of a master chef, manages to make something shockingly delicious. The fact that it's getting animated by Studio Trigger means that this fine dish is ALSO visually appealing! I would say that between DM and Fieren, Dungeon Meshi actually addresses the tragedy of Elves aging long past other humanoid beings more directly, and dare I say, I liked how they handled it better than Fieren by a mile. For one, Marcille actively studied dark magic to actually DO something about the disparity in races. While it's significantly more healthy to accept this fate rather than fight it, the fact that Marcille actually takes some sort of action against it puts her ahead of Fieren for me.

[@cha_s16]

The “marcille having black magic is convenient” point is weird considering she knows healing magic so most of the tension was from getting to her first aswell as the nightmare episode explaining why she knows black magic

[@amarchunduru]

I love how much you love dungeon meshi, and I love that you're gonna love it even more

[@User_Unknown86]

Wait until he finds out about Witch Hat Atelier

[@XShrike0]

11:36 This is one of the reason I fell in love with Dungeon Meshi. They win through planning and execution. Really a lot of anime/manga starts out this way. Naruto, One Piece, DBZ, Bleach, My Hero, etc. They all started out with a limited power set. Many of them would have the protagonist win by figuring out their opponents and then the protagonist would figure out a way to win with their power set. I usually stop reading or watching once this stops. This is also usually when everything turns into power levels.

[@XXPiggyzXX652544]

Marcille is not a master of dark magic. She is curious, and wants to know everything she can about magic. Hense why she didnt know that reviving Falin with dragon meat might have horrific consequences. Shes a novice. She reminds me of a girl i knew growing up who was super sweet on the outside, but loved all things gore and horror and "forbidden" in her heart. (Love the vid so far i just wanted to share my thoughts)

[@MeBloxboy305]

its funny how you compare frieren and dungeon meshi at the beginning of the episode because ironically i felt the same way about the opposite shows, frieren immediately turned me off after trying out the manga but i read dungeon meshi straight to the end

[@e77gma]

Watching bestguyever is like watching a person ride their bipolar high. Truly amazing

[@EmmisonMike]

On tonal dissonance: Just because a show has two tones does not mean it is dissonant. Often the diverse tones are resonant. I'd argue Dungeon Meshi is like an Arnold Palmer. Lemonade can be too sweet and tangy sometimes, iced tea can be too earthy and bitter, but together they mellow into a tasty summer treat. Like I'll admit that, to your point, the balance was off until the backend of the first season, it just sounds like your proposed solution would be a recipe with only one ingredient, rather than getting the tones to resonate better. Maybe I'm just misunderstanding that, since these very clear singular purpose characters read as way more sinister than heroic. The show itself kindof argues that heroism is found in messiness and dealing with people as they are, rather than expecting them to ever work at peak efficiency. The expectation for efficiency, to optimize your path down the dungeon and do it perfectly is demonstrably less sustainable, as we see with the samurai who fails both because of his efficiency and also his refusal to take Laios for who he is. But, maybe to your point, I will say it is a bummer that it takes so long for the thesis of dungeon meshi to be established and defended like this. the show's definitely more of a grower than a shower. Also, I am super excited to see new videos from you. Please keep it up.

[@law244]

When They used dragon meat for the Resurrection scene I knew this show was going places also the author is a super ultra nerd makes the story worth admiration

[@tintedpalette653]

Great video! As a manga reader I am loving all of the anime-only impressions, it reminds me of my first experience when reading the manga and fan discussions as chapters were released. I can understand why the high praise the show was getting right away may have seemed off putting to new viewers. Honestly I was kind of concerned of it myself, with people not so subtly spoiling aspects of the story and themes online. I am relieved people are finding ways to appreciate the story in their own way, separate from the hype. The first half of the season definitely has a distinct tonal dissonance to it you brought up that could rub people the wrong way. Loyal fans of the show will defend that aspect of the story to the high heavens, but I think it’s ultimately a matter of preference and willingness to adjust as a viewer. You either love it or you hate it, and personally I loved it and got adjusted to it quickly. The only real nitpick I have with the video was the notion that the main group was goofing off before they reached the Red Dragon. Yes, the tone is absolutely un-serious for most of it, which creates the impression they are going slowly or even wasting time. But if you separate the tone from the actions of the characters, it’d be difficult to point out specific moments that actually contributed nothing to their goal . They stop to hunt when they’re hungry, then they cook, then they continue to delve deeper, they get hungry, rinse and repeat. They have to make these stops because they are going in with no supplies from the surface. Other times the group stops is due to obstacles blocking them from progression (living armor, kidnapped by orcs, getting Senshi to water walk undine wounding Marcille, etc). I think the only actual waste of time was the Living Paintings, which even then was an attempt from Laios to procure food in an unconventional method due to the lack of food in a floor full of undead monsters. I don’t think the characters need to be mopey or sad the whole journey to reassure the audience that they do actually care about what they’re doing. Their willingness to go out of their comfort zones and put themselves in great danger make their devotion to saving Falin clear. That said, I can totally understand how the tone of those events could give the impression you expressed in the video. Like you said, the story improves juggling both the comedy and the stakes better as it goes on. I’d argue the jokes actually get even funnier post red dragon, the shenanigans with the Dryads and Cockatrice were Grade A comedy. Mini rant aside, I am happy you made a video on the anime of my favorite manga. Even if there’s some things I may disagree with, that doesn’t change the fact we all love this story. Here’s to season 2!

[@sporeman1331]

The best part about Izutsumi is that she's more of a girlcat than a traditional catgirl. Instead of just being a cutsy girl with cat ears, she actually acts like a cat by being a picky asshole. Reminds me of Catra from She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.

[@psydrone8]

Of course, Nate would love the psychopath!

[@TheKrigeron]

I inferred that Izutsumi was some criminal or street urchin they suicide squaded. That's why she was so easily left behind. Maybe it's because of her curse too.

[@SephirosB]

For me Frieren is a solid 7/10 and I have a hard time grasping the hype around it. The story also falls for the classic Japanese mangaka problem of having a good initial idea but nothing beyond that. Even in the latest manga chapters it feels like they are doing that thing where they milk the serialized series and stretch it out for too long until it gets axed or it ends abruptly.

[@emdee7733]

(dungeon meshi manga spoilers kind of) 10:35 "it doesn't seem like the world is gonna explode or anything" HE DOESN'T KNOW

[@LunarJaguar]

I thought the same thing hehehe

[@w.o.jackson8432]

19:14 Your "Good Authority" is lying to you my guy, didn't you already hear on Talking Pirates that Frieren introduces TIME TRAVEL?

[@PurpleH4z3]

one of the 4 horseman of bad/hack writers: time travel, multiverse, reviving a death character and inserting current event in to the story

[@anonymouslucario285]

​@PurpleH4z3 the writer is a hack?

[@laststrike4411]

​@@PurpleH4z3"I don't like these concepts so they're bad."

[@w.o.jackson8432]

@@laststrike4411 Time travel in a story about the inexorable passage of time? Yeah, it's bad. Really bad.

[@fifthofascalante7311]

I swear that epic “Dungeon meshi… OoOohh dungeon meshi…!” Is so catchy. I kept doing it along as well. Best show I’ve seen in a while. It was just so fell written and made. I loved the cooking screens

[@MossHouse]

DUNGEON MESHI is classic fantasy vibe, it better than animes with crazy colorful-hair.

[@Eon_Kain]

Can't wait for Elf Wars 3 : Revenge of the Thick Elves

[@RoyalCrustle]

Personally loved the show from the start. It has MAJOR DnD vibes. Like I could see the show being based on an actual DnD campaign.

[@Airship007Johnston]

I feel like marcille’s expertise as a mage was set up by her being a star student at the magic academy, we don’t take her too seriously until she is using her PHD to defy the laws of nature

[@jemleye]

It did take me too until episode 7 before I got hooked. In the beginning it felt tedious and simplistic, but once I got sucked in and couldn't resist catching up on manga I've come to appreciate the early episodes too. It is not a bombastic shonen action-adventure. It is a relatively slow character-exploration comedy about eating, with some very deep thematic explorations around a few subjects going on. And Kui wrote a perfectly balanced comedic drama, where both aspects of it support each other impeccably, especially later on in the story where the drama, emotion, and comedy become so well intertwined that you can't really examine any single aspect without acknowledging the others. And while the characters are simplistic in the beginning, including Izutsumi, they become interesting examples of amazingly accurate human persons in a written medium. There's also tons of interesting set-up and payoff going on throughout, and referencing earlier events will be a given as the story continues. Hope you'll love it as much as I did!

[@DinosaurMaximum]

I think your disinterest in the first half of season one led you to missing quite a few details about characters and the plot

[@ebunnyzappa]

*sees notifications* AHHH DUNGEON MESHIII!!

[@SamTheGumMan117]

Dungeon Meshi is a perfect mix of fantasy with food wars orgasmic cooking of beasts 😋 plus elf intro was based af

[@yaboi7232]

for me its the total opposite, don't get me wrong i love the serious moments but every time that happens i always go damm when are we cooking more delicious stuff . and on the point of laios seeming not in a hurry to save his sister their world have resurrection magic and he thought the dragon would be sleeping slowing the digesting prosses a bit . and to be fair they were kinda speed running the dungeon while shuro who goes in the dungeon right after them and only one floor behind was clearly tired and wasn't eating properly laios managed to reach falin at tip top shape.

[@thatprofessorguy8316]

Now you implanted the cursed image of Chilchuck dressed up as scout from TF2

[@mano__diep1318]

the ending is batshit insane

[@shwars576]

That yuru camp 4 chan story was hilarious

[@graylightning4181]

20:30 Talking about finality, I wonder what were they thinking when they approved, fully budgeted, animated and publicized a REMAKE of Spice & Wolf? What even is the point of any of that? They are faithfully remaking the two seasons that we already had into a single new one with 25 episodes. Ok that's great, but then what? Will they continue? If a complete adaptation wasn't on the table of the committee from the start, then they are only wasting money, resources and the patience of many fans. All for what? Selling Pop Up Parades and maybe boosting sales 15% for the already completed novel series way back in 2016-ish? It baffles me the lengths these producers will go to give us some crumbs just to have a +3% boost at the end of the financial year.

[@cosmicgelatin9434]

this shit is insane. I thought it would be fine if it looked better than the original two seasons that are occasionally a bit crusty looking, but IT DOESNT. THE NEW SEASON LOOKS LIKE SHIT TOO.

[@goldcreeper7376]

Couldn't agree more, it's the most unhinged decision-making I've seen in years regarding an anime production

[@Kuesoth]

Fun fact Marcille and Frieren has the same v.a. in Latin Spanish Dub

[@pablocasas5906]

Erika Ugalde has been getting a lot of major anime roles in recent years, which is interesting since she used to work primarily for Disney dubs

[@startingfromlevelone9510]

Good to see you back. For whatever reason reason the algorithm didn’t show me it until 9 days after it came out.

[@BestGuyEver]

Thanks homie. Kickstarting the channel here, hopefully these things become more visible as the algorithm takes mercy on us.

[@startingfromlevelone9510]

@@BestGuyEver hey man, been following for a long time and always happy to support someone who’s an inspiration. I don’t always see eye to eye with you, but your hustle’s inspired me before and I appreciate that you put yourself out there. Your new video every day for a month inspired me to do the same thing with my blog.

[@BestGuyEver]

Love to hear it dude. Best of luck on what you're doing, I'll keep on truckin here too.

[@PurpleH4z3]

10:30 "still the stackes are far lower in dungeon meshi, its not like the world is going to end or anything" someone clip this for second season

[@enraversadi2903]

I knew this video was coming, but its still satisfying to see. thanks, besty boy!

[@backyarddad4198]

Izutsumi’s cat side makes her fussy and a picky eater…like a dang ol’ kitty cat!!

[@ATMOSK1234]

Oh no they got him too

[@Hankler_fish]

Bro posted this on the premiere day of Plus-size Elf... Coincidence? Doubtful

[@kennakamura3481]

The ending of the manga is very satisfying, i recommed 👍🏻

[@malloryechelmeyer6679]

Regard Dungeon Meshi as you would an actual DnD campaign. The DM gives you a quest hook, and the party usually messes around with their own shenanigans, not really thinking the DM would make it a time sensitive goal. And then there's the party's shock when their actions do indeed have consequences

[@polkjmsb]

Nani? Nate doesn't upload... Bro is beating the allegations these days for real

[@BestGuyEver]

Many are saying this!!

[@kekero540]

I like how dungeon meshi kind of makes up for a lot of the earlier mistakes later on by just saying “hey you know those things you thought were weird and the concerns you had? Yeah those are valid concerns and yes those things are weird everyone else thinks so too.”

[@ma.2089]

This year is the year of the elves, Fieren, Marcille, and Emilia.

[@Candy-8448]

Im pretty sure it was mentioned somewhere (at least in tge manga or bonus content) that they got down there in i think they said was abiut a week, whearas other parties would probably take months to get to that level, so they were going really fast

[@Applemangh]

Absolutely LOVE Dungeon Meshi! I eventually forgave the lack of urgency in rescuing Falin as, based on everything they know about the dungeon and dragon digestion, it was either already too late to do anything (but they're gonna try anyway), or they have a good long time before Falin's chance of revival could really get any worse. So by that logic, a slow and steady pace to maximize safety and health for the best possible chances against the dragon, kind of makes sense.

[@Mcat_XX]

I haven't finished the series so I can't watch this, but whatever it is you say, so true king.

[@BestGuyEver]

Many are saying this!!

[@NovaArk-oh2mj]

Oh my gord! BestGuyEver is back!?!?!? :D

[@CosmicShadowMari0]

If you're enjoying the worldbuilding of Dungeon Meshi, I definitely recommend the end-of-volume extras from the manga up til the end of the current season's content. They make it clear that the author, Ryoko Kui, has put even more thought into her world than we already thought. They're mostly a collection of one-page comics that expand upon monster biology, character dynamics, backstories (for minor/tertiary characters), history, and more. And all of it is internally consistent.

[@wojciechwerner8787]

I knew manga so for big part of revenue I had fun with "I know something you don't know." I will not spoil fun addressing it only say that stacks will rise even more.

[@Conflict-ff5pi]

This truly is the year of the elf

[@civiridian7540]

C+ book report, see me after class

[@JoshuaHenelyThornhill]

I'm happy you've learned to appreciate this goated series Oh Monkey God !!!

[@lightningcomet7307]

Hi, Nate! Just want to say: excellent video! I'll be sure to check out Dungeon Meshi (I dropped the Frieren manga a while back). Sorry about all the drama KZbin put you through and I am so happy you came back with a 10 out of fucking 10 video! Love you, brother. Keep being you.