Kabru: The Perfect Foil | Delicious In Dungeon Video Essay

[@dmgurei]

Thanks for checking this one out guys! I'm really happy with how it turned out, especially as a companion video to the Laios one. What character or topic would you like to see next? Or any other series I should check out in the meantime? Leave a suggestion!

[@nnelg8139]

Deep dive into the Soul-Egg metaphor. Preconceptions, stereotypes, and racism as expressed by the characters of Dungeon Meshi. Character Spotlight: Mr Tanse. All-Meals Ranking / Tier List (personal preference)

[@pinkapetdesigns]

I'd want to see a video about Chilchuck :3

[@123guilhermina321]

Agree that a chilchuck vídeo would be very enjoyed!

[@BelBelle468]

@@pinkapetdesigns a deep dive into every character would be so cool considering how much there is lol. Ppl have even mentioned fun facts about the cast in the adventurers bible

[@eels]

FALIN PLEASE PLEASE PLEAXZE LPEASE PELASEPLEPAKLSE

[@genericname2747]

Imagine spending your whole life masking your Autism and learning how people act, just to get absolutely annihilated in conversation by an autistic dude who can't mask to save his life

[@pumpkin2986]

Poor guy lmao. It also makes a lot of sense. Most people meet Laios and inherently understand that he's just very socially awkward. But not Kabru, because he operates entirely on social cues. He has a library inside his head filled with cues and planned responses. So when Laios doesn't pick up on his social cue, Kabru's brain has nothing to work with and short circuits instead, lmao.

[@stephanieok5365]

I don't have to imagine it. 😅 At least several times, I'd think I hate someone only to realize after more interactions that they are being genuine, then it's fine.

[@yundorphin]

This experience feels too relatable. Oops.

[@WanderTheNomad]

I love this comment

[@boserboser6870]

​@@stephanieok5365its so hard!!!! I was so good at social ques i could explain them to my autistic friends in ways they understood. But now im so good that when i meet new autistic people im compulsively too neurotypical to connect with them properly

[@arcanineryu]

The Kabru memes have been amazing. Like he's in such a "smart kid playing chess and not understanding how he's losing while the dumb kid is winning by eating the peices" situation and it's hilarious.

[@kchopgamer3894]

The best part about this is that this implies all the pieces are monsters too

[@queenidragon4489]

1:44 Kabru would 100% have been the protagonist if this was a regular fantasy anime but unfortunately it is based D&D so our protagonist is the weirdest guy in a 20 mile radius of the dungeon

[@Ikirus]

What do you mean unfortunately

[@queenidragon4489]

@@Ikirus I meant unfortunate for Kabru because he doesn't get MC plot armor

[@ihap5180]

​​@@queenidragon4489it really shows. Kabru almost died everytime he shows up with the only times not dying is when he was just revived by the gnome and body retrievers.

[@dannyyous]

If you played d&d the protagonists usually become autistic powergaming munchkin muder hobos

[@wiktoriakaczmarek412]

Actually the author never played DnD. From what I remember, the inspiration was from a different tabletop roleplaying game, an OSR one, since D&D never really took off in Japan. Can't remember the game rn.

[@Vlad-t3f6q]

i’ve found kabru supremely relatable, it’s not often that you see a character rotate his own blorbo in his head

[@dmgurei]

ugh he just like me fr

[@bigkirbyhj666]

Thats how Ifelt about Laois exactly >

[@softglow9]

forgive me, what's a blorbo?

[@Vlad-t3f6q]

@@softglow9 you are hereby Forgiven. “blorbo from my shows” is a slang term for “a beloved character”, originating from tumblr

[@softglow9]

@@Vlad-t3f6q 😂thank you for your mercy, and tysm for the reply! (i must be stupid but wdym rotate the blorbo? rotating laois in his head? as in think about him? thanks again 😭)

[@queenidragon4489]

2:56 Mickbell is also a scab who doesn't fairly compensate Kuro unlike Chilchuck the union man

[@Judgeangels]

Well kuro gets paid in food and kuro is the only (person?) who he trusts (yeah mickbell is not a girl I was suprised too)

[@LivPC]

​@@Judgeangels getting paid only with food is indentured servitude! Chilchuck the union man would never stand for these sort of work practices

[@Judgeangels]

@@LivPC fair

[@csahlt1772]

@@LivPC real

[@MilloSpiegel]

​@@LivPC Kuro actually only stays with Mickbelle because he worrys anout him. He doesn't speak commen very well and can't communicate that if he leaves Mickbell the man that saved him will dies

[@claireofhell]

laios & kabru would make a lethal duo: monster expert & people expert. imagine them teaming up 😳

[@dmgurei]

They would make great ruler(s) 👀😳

[@kagato23]

@@dmgureithe marriage would really be for the good of the kingdom .

[@claireofhell]

@@kagato23 my guy 🫱🏻‍🫲🏽 i like how you think

[@nekochan3231]

I guess you could say they would be lethal company for each other.

[@anggarendy4129]

nope kabru will sick being around laios, he is someone that cant be controled and kabru cant deal with that

[@pumpkin2986]

A very cool analysis also pointed out that Laios and Kabru both seem be neurodivergent, just in entirely different ways. Thats just an interpretation, but its really cool how their minds seem to work in a similar way, even though they couldnt be more different in personality. They're fantastic foils and its always funny to see how Laios' total lack of masking stumps Kabru completely. He just cannot figure the guy out, yet wants to know everything about him. Laios is a monster fanatic and Kabru is a gossip queen. Its fantastic. They're foils in a very untraditional way, because their rivalry is completely one-sided and the rival actually just wants to be friends, lol. It works so well for the story.

[@kamatz83]

Both of them can be seen as autistic, but Kabru learned how to mask and Laios didn't. Kabru needed to learn social cues to survive so, as someone else said, he has a library of cues and their correct responses. He observes people and over thinks what they are trying to imply by attitude or speech. This is why he fails to manipulate Laios, he doesn't know how to "go off script" so to speak. He also doesn't know how to deal with someone that doesn't have ulterior motives and 100% means what he says.

[@qwesz-dw4kt]

⁠@@kamatz83 Does Kabru fail to manipulate Laios? I know it is a funny idea ”Haha Laios is too direct to be manipulated” and ”Haha Kabru ate harpy egg”, but Kabru got the information he wanted and is liked by Laios. That seems like a win in Kabrus book.

[@BordEfternamn]

@@qwesz-dw4ktI guess it could be seen as a win for Kabru, but he usually collects information through social engineering (tricking someone into saying something that inadvertently divulges private/corporate information) which makes Kabru, in my opinion, undeserving of any credit. He achieved his goal, but did it by complete fluke since Laios just happened to be an incredibly nice and honest guy, sometimes to his own detriment. Kabru even considered killing Laios because he couldn’t sense any ulterior motives and, understandably, feared someone he could not understand.

[@SergioLeonardoCornejo]

Not canon tho.

[@BordEfternamn]

Okay, maybe the social engineering thing was wrong, what I meant more was that Kabru understands people very well and knows how to gain their favour (if they have ulterior motives, which Laios doesn’t).

[@reniesulaweyo4383]

As a manga reader i thought until the end that Kabru wouldn't be as good of a king. He can be intrigant and very pragmatic, which do qualify him! But I also thought that could easily end in him justifying ruthless actions in the name of the greater good. For example, the fate of the orcs would depend on if Kabru agreed they are human. And outside of no mass slaughter of humans because of mishandled dungeon take overs, he has no real firm positions. The possibility of him pre-emptively taking action or giving no mercy would scare me. That said, he would make an A+ advisor to someone with a great moral compass like Laios. Laios is genuinely very unbiased and does give things a chance that others might not. Kabru could ensure his openess doesn't hurt him and help make his ideals come to life.

[@luisjauregui2197]

Kabru has the ability to observe all details in a situation, the issue is whether he can make good decisions for others or just chooses the convenient one

[@RRRRRRRRRRR956]

Laios got a great moral compass?

[@reniesulaweyo4383]

@@RRRRRRRRRRR956 yeah. As mentioned in the video, we haven't seen him fight any human by series definition. Whenever he notices people struggling, he helps them. This is even to his detriment with people taking advantage of his generosity. Please show me where Laios was ever trying to harm someone on purpose or was malicious. He can make the hard decisions like fighting against his sister and essentially agreeing to kill her so she doesn't hurt anyone else. But first he will exhaust all other, unconventional approaches.

[@reniesulaweyo4383]

@@luisjauregui2197 I wouldn't say he choses the convenient one, from his perspective he is reducing harm by cutting the problem off at the root. That can be needed, but I do think Laios could balance it out by making him think about what else he could do. Example: Kabru's mind panic jumps to "I should kill him" when offered monster food. He forces himself to eat it to keep appearances up. The Laios way of dealing with this would be to simply say "no thank you". Kabru gets pulled to extremes a bit quickly.

[@jurukiki]

lol there was an extra comic that had laios/falin talking about bandits "you cant reason with" near their village where kabru was shocked i do think he has more reasonable geopolitical morals

[@HellishSpoon]

Kabru is just reverse laios: both have very tactical minds they have very unusual personalites and both are likely part of the spectrum, kabru specializes in humans while laios specializes in monsters

[@tossingturnips]

I love the parallels you drew between Laios and Kabru as well as their respective teams. One piece that you didn't mention was whereas the closest people to Laios (namely Chilchuck and Marcille) seem to not believe in his ability to become king of the Golden Country, Kabru seemingly has faith he will. Whether he'll be a good or effective king is another question entirely, but for all their rivalry, Kabru has the most faith and respect for Laios out of everyone. That's my take on it, anyway. As to what role he'll come to play in the end, I had that spoiled for me, so I won't say. However, I don't know the full details of how his character evolves, so I'm excited to see it play out.

[@jaydenlu6508]

How many pieces?

[@celinhooliveira3716]

​@@jaydenlu6508ONE PIECE🗣️🗣️🗣️

[@jaydenlu6508]

@@celinhooliveira3716 IT'S REAL🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣

[@ProcyonCanisMinor-w8z]

It seems like you didn't take something into account. Kabru would be a magnificent king but only for people, his goal is to eliminate the dungeons so that no one suffers the same as him, but what will happen to the ecosystem that Senshi cares for so much? What will happen to Marcille's dream of using the resources from the dungeon to benefit the people? And most importantly, what will happen to the female minotaurs that Laios so lovingly milked 🗿? If everyone worked together, things would be better than if there was just one ruler.

[@alvinvalentino5797]

They would be great as the council imo With Laios as the moral compass

[@SergioLeonardoCornejo]

He's far from a good man. He learns to be good due to Laios' influence. But, originally, he's a morally ambiguous man pretending to be good.

[@wrexus9585]

@@SergioLeonardoCornejo His actions were morally ambiguous but his intentions were nothing but good. It just doesn't come off as nice when it feels like he's manipulating everyone to get his way.

[@miragemain105]

​@SergioLeonardoCornejo i think that was clear with his lack of mercy for any of the corpse snatchers

[@SergioLeonardoCornejo]

@@wrexus9585 good men don't try to social engineer rivals into exposing weaknesses after assuming those rivals are evil in the very first meeting.

[@bossl6982]

Kabru = neutral good drama tiktoker confirmed

[@sporkmaster5000]

Man just called my dude Mickbell "Meribel" and thought no one would notice

[@kuraraShotai9]

It isnt a spoiler but fun fact: the gnome Holm also studied ancient magic like Marcille but actually did get punished for it (just his research was confiscated, mentioned in the Adventure's Bible).

[@willgegg8601]

I love hearing your perspective on this! My brother just finished the anime and I lent him my copies of the manga. He is absolutely convinced Kabru will end up killing one or more of Laios' party, something I never thought when reading the manga. Kabru is a dangerous man, its true lol. During the western elf introduction, (in the manga and the anime) you get a little tidbit that tells us Kabru was taken in by a high ranking western elf after the dungeon colapse at Utaya. Thats a fuuuun fact my friend

[@exxpo7870]

As much as people hate the "Human Fighter" trope in TTRPGs, Laios and Kabru are 2 of the best examples of how good that trope can be. Laios, despite his flaws is extremely aware of what he is fighting, and it allows for massive resourcefullness in efforts to best monsters. Kabru on the other hand is intensely analytical, even to the point of memorizing anatomy to efficiently dispatch foes with martial expertise, best seen in his fight against Falin, where in the span of 4 seconds listed out vital organs he stabbed to hinder/kill her.

[@SuperLlama42]

There are two sides to Kabru's brain: "Laios is weird as fuck and I need to know more about this strange man" and "LAIOS IS A DANGER TO EVERYTHING I HAVE TO KILL HIM"

[@jacksparrowismydaddy]

Kabru wouldn't make a good king not just because of his fear of monsters but he also doesn't respect the person hood of the orcs. if you recall his reaction to Laios making friends with Orcs.. he thought to himself "he forgot we're supposed to kill them." if you want peace, respecting the person hood of others is crucial.

[@ProcyonCanisMinor-w8z]

True, but Laios would not be a good king either because he does not pay attention to people, they both have one thing in common (apart from their hyperfixation on something specific) they are both very good people, Laios tries to help everyone, but he does not pay attention to what others feel, he tried to get closer to Shuro so that he wouldn't feel alone for being new, but he didn't realize that he didn't like him, he gave extra money to his old groupmates, but he didn't realize that they were cheating on him. Kabru wants good for everyone and thinks that people who do evil should disappear. Although he focuses on people, his sense of justice leads him to commit immoral acts, such as when he murdered body collectors because they took advantage of them. adventurers, Kabru follows the orders given to him as an adventurer, kill the orcs, since they murder people, he thinks that all the monsters should be eliminated and the dungeons closed, so that they do not harm the people on the surface, but he doesn't think about the monsters and how they act, if they have a reason to do what they do, he also doesn't think about the ecosystem and if it would help people. That's why it would be best for everyone to work together to govern, Kabru would be in charge of politics and social affairs, Laios would speak well of the monsters and demihumans that live in the dungeon, Marcille would talk to him about how people can use the dungeon to benefit themselves, and Senshi would explain the dungeon's ecosystem. (I'm using a translator so I hope it's understood)

[@jacksparrowismydaddy]

@@ProcyonCanisMinor-w8z question.. did you see the episode with the dopplegangers? because I have a rebuttal to that but don't wanna spoil. but kabru's sense of justice makes him untrustworthy. maybe I have misread the subtitles, but I think he said he'd kill the siblings and Liaos thinks he made a friend. as a victim of false friends I am scared of that guy. I don't know where he stands. I think he plays a long game. he strikes me as one with good intentions but might be Draconian over time. his smiles are unsettling to me. liaos hasn't learned it yet but when people smile like that they are planning to harm you.

[@justasandvich7168]

@@jacksparrowismydaddy On a counterpoint, Kabru does not show his cards on the same reason why you think he is untrustworthy. He also does not know where other people may stand, so he shows false pretenses so that he would know how to act accordingly. Till the end he shows genuine care for people and the island, even to his detriment. The smile never did show anything else beyond a smile ngl. If anything, Kabru is the one person who has the greatest faith in Laios actually achieving the impossible in the dungeon.

[@vivvy_0]

@@ProcyonCanisMinor-w8zget rid of the throne

[@BelBelle468]

I don’t think Kabru said whether he agreed or not, just that Laios forgot. He makes observations but never says whether it’s a good or bad thing. For example, Kabru knows Laios isn’t interested in humans or him, but he never says it’s a bad thing. You misread, Kabru never said he’d kill anyone besides the moment where he got triggered by his trauma and went into survival mode cuz he doesn’t think saying “no” to someone is an acceptable response. And tbf, Laios is also the same. Nobody knows what’s going on in his head, and he’s got a creepy smile, but we see him as safe cus we follow him (there’s a lot of ppl who hate his character tho, esp his unmasked autism). It’s the same for Kabru, who’s simply masking his.

[@Mel-mc9mu]

You've pointed out so much of their dynamic in a really well rounded way and so I have but one thing left to add Him and Laios should kiss

[@warcriminal-js7gg]

REAL

[@razberry_brooks]

HEY!

[@dinorex4105]

ESOOOOO

[@aithamv]

thumbnail that’s just a picture of kabru and the word “perfect.” so true Anyway YAAAYYY an analysis video on my favorite guy!!!! Kabru is such a phenomenally layered and intriguing character, it was a delight to hear your thoughts on his role in the story thematically and structurally as a window to the larger political world. As someone else said, I had a smile the whole time I was watching. I’m stealing this fantastic insight from a tumblr post: Laios and his party represent the natural and magical ecosystem of the dungeon (and the world at large), while Kabru and his party represent the human societal/political ecosystem of power structures, history, and motivations. We need both of their perspectives to form a complete and informed picture of the world and characters. I also really appreciate that in spite of being such a thorough foil in terms of narrative, themes, and even personal details and quirks, it’s done in such a way that never makes Kabru feel like just a writing tool to push those ideas. He’s as much a grounded, breathing, independent part of the world as every other character, driven by their own goals and values. His just so happen to mirror Laios’s perfectly!

[@khurtandrei4142]

13:08 Kabru: "Maybe I'm the monster, maybe im in the wrong, maybe im the problem that's been hiding all along."

[@canyoustop5868]

“Penelope, Telemachus” Yooo nice reference

[@JamesVescovo]

Epic reference? Love it

[@spook9106]

My thought around this point in the manga was "Is this a twink or a tomboy???" because I could not tell... turns out it was twink.

[@stephanieok5365]

Spook out here asking the questions that need answers. 🎉

[@varflock9777]

It was easy for me to tell that Kabru's a guy, but the elves confused me a lot (aside for the shirtless one for obvious reasons. That one was confusing in a different way).

[@whome9842]

There is a "what if" extra where Kabru is female. She is hot!

[@cloudhhhh]

the thing is, we can see in the last episode where laios is trying to make up a plan for the party to follow from then on, he mentions that the end goal is 'defeating the mad mage' and as he speaks, there's visuals of said mad mage kneeling on the ground and apologizing. 'defeating' and not 'killing'. he has absolutely no intention to kill the guy or it's at least not his plan A

[@alec9934]

I love Kabru, I've loved him since my first anime watch and I love him more after reading the manga, so seeing your perspective on him is genuinely so interesting and I love a lot of the points you made about his character. I especially love the fact that you refer to his disinterest of monsters specifically as a "fear" and not just a hatred or dislike, because to me this is honestly very fundamental to more sympathetic readings of his character. That he has trauma from what happened to Utaya, and this trauma has manifested in his fear of monsters. And he's doing the stereotypical main character thing, which is not letting his fear stop him from still going into the dungeon anyway (even though this isn't really working out for him) Thinking about him going dungeon delving, where the very things he fears thrive in their own ecosystem and the natural consequences of interference in that ecosystem is often dying himself to the monsters he's so afraid of, I can't even imagine what that's like. Like being afraid of spiders and working in a cranberry bog? Anyway thank you for this video!

[@sarafontanini7051]

unfortunately for kabru, that fear has lead to him not doing ANY research on monsters thus meaning he's pitifully useless against them because he fundamentally refuses to understand them on any level.

[@nicholasso8560]

If there is a king like Laios and the kingdom isn't falling apart, there absolutely is a Kabru somewhere out of sight and mind of the adoring public. He makes me uneasy despite his necessity. For me, there's a fascinating question of how willfully blind I may be when I'd prefer to believe that a likable eccentric like Laios is the one handling the murky matters of state, knowing full well that he can only function up there with the help of some pragmatic officer.

[@BelBelle468]

I relate to Kabru so much. It’s even better considering the ethnicity he’s coded as (I say coded simply cuz it’s a fantasy world but his character I think does a pretty interesting job being somewhat related to the culture he would’ve been brought up in. Which is the same as mine). So i genuinely felt so seen at certain points in the story (talking about future manga material).

[@idkaname1085]

Which ethnicity is that?

[@pierofasulli1076]

​@@idkaname1085 Aryan

[@caocaoholdingaplushie6022]

@@idkaname1085 south asian i think

[@murcus2988]

I thought he looked more indian

[@RussetMan]

There's also the best kind of foil that Laios or Senshi would love to have. Aluminum foil.

[@hesseceja2830]

This video is great for seeing a clear cut view of MBTI theory, Laios is an INTP and Kabru and INFJ. Their main functions are both introverted, but Laios uses Thinking while Kabru uses Intuition. Laios is largely focused on collecting information, analyzing, and creating theories. Kabru also gathers information, but rather than think and analyze it, he intuitively connects all the floating information to create a full picture. He is also very goal focused, unlike Laios who gets distracted by every monster he sees. The difference in their auxiliary functions also furthers the foil, Laios' being Extroverted Intuition and Kabru's is Extroverted Feeling. Laios is constantly thinking of different possibilities with the knowledge he has, it's what makes him come up with such brilliant creative plans, his Ne informs his Ti by helping him think of different possibilities before his Ti analyzes and judges it as a plausible theory. His dominant function is also a Judging function, so he makes decisions based on his own logic. Kabru on the other hand has Fe as his auxiliary function, so he has a hard focus on people and relationships. His Ni will collect all the information and bring it together for his judging function, Fe, to use to be as socially tuned in as possible. While Laios goes with what he thinks first and thinks of the possibilities of that line of thinking, Kabru has a very focused idea of what's possible with what they know, but instead of turning that to a thinking function it goes to Fe meaning he's very focused and specializes in the feelings of others. This is why Laios can create such great strategies against monsters, but is lacking in human interaction because he puts what he thinks first. It's also why Kabru is amazing with and against people, but if he fights a monster he suddenly can't see the possibilities on how tackle the problem and freezes up. He doesn't understand the feelings and behavior of a monster since they aren't people, so he has a hard time picking up information and coming up with a solid conclusion. When that conclusion is wrong it leads him to freeze up like against the serpent. Their similarities come from the fact that they both have introverted functions, which lets their differences run in parallel to each other creating a great foil for each other. Being able to apply this theory so solidly shows how great of a character writer the author is.

[@opossumclamchowder4825]

dude. I have been searching for a good Kabru video essay for SO long. In fact, just THIS MORNING I was surfing the internet for one. crazy. When I saw this upload, I actually flipped out. Love your content, and this was such a fun watch. (Bonus points for Beneath the Mask in the intro!! You checked all my boxes.) Thank you!! 🎉

[@hundike]

DMPUNK KABRU VIDEO ESSAY 🗣🗣🗣 jokes aside so happy to see this in depth analysis, Kabru is definitely one of the most interesting and compelling characters out of DM's excellent cast for me. theres so many nuances and layers to him i can't get enough of him

[@NobleWrot]

I have read the whole manga, so I am really happy to see video essays from the perspective of an anime-only fan. Most videos I see on the topic of Delicious in Dungeon are from people who have read the entire series. My thoughts on Kabru when he was first introduced was that Ryoko Kui was just trying to make another joke. I did not give him much weight in his importance to the plot because, at the time, I did not realize how deep the series was going to get. I cannot remember how I felt about him at the point where season one ends. I just like his angle: helping Laios conquer the dungeon and planning to deal with the consequences that follow. Slightly off topic, but the thing about Laios is that he has several foils; more than I can list because the anime has not progressed that far yet. Each of his ideological opponents work so well because they represent represent different conflicts with his character. Kabru, Toshiro, and Thistle all have aspects about their characters that directly clash with Laios. For Kabru, it is his interest in monster. For Toshiro, it is his straightforward demeanor. For Thistle, it is something that is very subtle up to this point, but it has been touched upon, so I do not believe elaborating will spoil anything. During the Golden Country episode, it is shown just how empty and meaningless existence is for the kingdom's citizens. It turns out one of the things that is missing from their lives was any kind of spice in it, literally and figuratively. Their food was as bland their day to day existence. Thistle fails to notice this and wishes for them to exist for its own sake. Compare this to Laios and really his whole party, who are living exciting lives and are always after their next meal. Not just any meal will do, either. It has to be one that is tasty and will be enjoyed with friends. Because of this, I think Thistle is a strong foil because he is in conflict with the main theme, which is stated at the end of the first episode and repeated at the end of season one verbatim to highlight its importance. "It is eat or be eaten. There is no hierarchy. Eating is simply the privilege of the living." Laios embodies this theme down to everything he does and his main goal. Eating is the solution to many of his problems. Thistle clashes with this idea because he created a society where eating is not necessary anymore. He has removed people from the natural order and even the entire food chain; not even the otherwise dangerous monsters they use as livestock could ever harm them.

[@merlumili]

yeah! I really like that about dungeon meshi. All the characters are interconnected in interesting ways, some more than others obv, but still there. Kabru is Laios' main foil and Thistle is Marcille's, but it doesn't mean there isn't much to talk about between Thistle and Laios. Ah, this manga is so good...

[@bastian3461]

I want to see him actually kill someone important in front of Laios's party and be met with disgust or fear, when his own party doesn't bat an eye

[@saltyspandex5058]

Honestly never really thought about the fact that laois never really enacts any sort of violence until you pointed it out, and it just makes so much sense given the implications of laois upbringing. I don't think it's ever directly shown but I do think it's definitely implied that he probably experienced some amount of violence as punishment for being unable to comfortably fit into what his father and his other male peers. Possible spoiler but I'm pretty sure it's briefly mentioned in the anime but it adds so much more understanding as to why laois became a run away from both the military and his home, because he experienced so much hurt, but can't bear to do the same to someone else. It also just makes his fight with shuro, the first time we ever see him physically lash out at someone, so much more heart breaking. For one thing, though he throws the first punch (or slap I think??) he is immediately apologetic, but consequently ends up in a full blown brawl. OMG I COULD TALK ABOUT THIS SERIES FOR AGES GAHHHH

[@kagato23]

Giving no spoilers cause I’m not anime only, but if I was at this point in the timeline, I’d say at the end Laios will be very surprised when Kabru professes his love for him. Even more surprised when to everybody else, this isn’t confusing at all because haven’t they been dating for months? (Laios had no idea!)

[@N0k4hara]

What? I’ve never read the manga or anime, is that true?😭

[@mr.lejend1825]

“Yeah”

[@XShrike0]

It continues to irk me when people depict Hades, or really underworld god or god of the dead, as a villain.

[@nnelg8139]

He didn't say which side in that image was the "bad guys" (if either)...

[@m.v.gonzalez5575]

He still is a foil to zeus (who is a piece of crap)

[@KidArkx]

People apply western Christianity to Hades. So when they see Hades they just infer he's supposed to be Satan

[@bobbobson6290]

He kidnapped Persephone. I wouldn't consider him good.

[@nnelg8139]

@@bobbobson6290 Almost all ancient greek myths about how women get married involve them being kidnapped, so that's more or less just how they did it back then. :P

[@_averageenjoyer_]

Kaburu is still one of my favourite characters even after I finished the story a few months back. I think one reason for that has to do that he looks morally grey yet tries to beleive that the world can be better, that doing the right thing has meaning, which is something I find very lacking in media for the past few years. Yeah he does gosip and imagine killing Liaous because of how strange he seems but he hasn't done it yet. In his attempt to understand Liaous he's also been giving him chances to redeem himself, to prove he is a better person than what those gosips have thaught him. Kaburu for me in a way is a beleiver in the indominable human spirit despite their circustances. Because of what I said above and with the way he is trying to play 5d chess and make the living situation for tall men better on the island. I also wish I could get him to teach me how to interact with people better. He makes it look so easy

[@Numasty]

QUE BUEN VIDEO !! ✨ 7:00 viejo esto es algo que nunca había notado, en la traducción al español se pierde mucho esto, hubiera sido increíble leer como jugaban con la manera de hablar con Kabru (formal, informal, etc) para mostrar como moldeaba toda su presentación en base a la persona con la que interactuaba. NAAAHH asombroso análisis, me encanto. Y como alguien que termino el manga, siendo honesta esperaba más de él con su final, tal vez más interacciones interesantes con otros personajes, pero fue satisfactorio y en definitiva cumple muy bien con su propósito.

[@nnelg8139]

As always, you have great insights that even teach manga veterans a thing or two! (It's especially fun when something you say shines a new light on events that haven't happened yet! Go ahead and keep making these theory/analysis videos, they're great. Then... Not sure whether it'd be better to start reading manga before a random spoiler hits you, or try to hold out until April so you can do weekly reaction+theory videos during the next season's run.

[@BelBelle468]

April? The next season for Dunmeshi is April??? How do u know this?

[@nnelg8139]

@@BelBelle468 Reddit said so. Which means it shouldn't be relied upon, but I see it as a fair "earliest possible release date" estimate.

[@PeteQuaint]

maybe the real dungeon meshi was the social skills laios gains along the way

[@joaopedroandsan2172]

Best comment😂😂😂

[@alternategender8471]

Wow first time catching a video so early (20 minutes since posting) from a person I’m not subscribed to. I’m excited to hear you out tho! Kabru written SO WELL; too many readers take him at face value instead of literally as the foil he was meant to be.

[@Kanelel]

I think Kabru would be an excellent, interesting shounen protagonist on his own. He kind of reminds me of Lelouch from Code Geass. They're both manipulative, charismatic leaders, they're both proactive rather than reactive, and they both have a strong sense of justice which guides their actions. I love this kind of character.

[@teddyteabear8049]

I saw a post regarding this a while back but when you think about it ALL of kabrus party members are foils to laios' party Izutsumi is a freed slave while kuro is actively being exploited (their race are also polar opposites. izutsumi is a beast mixed with a human soul, making her more beast than man, while kuro is a demihuman, just a human with different traits and cultures, more human than beast) Chilchuck actively advocates for worker rights while Mickbell scams and exploits labor (as seen with his dynamic with kuro) Failin has values the existence of spirits and holm who uses them as a weapon Senshi values the ecosystem of the dungeon while daya is weary and distrusts them. Im not rlly sure about rin and maricelle parallel, but it probably has smth to do with how they do their magic and their personality

[@gimlee7664]

Fun fact, the author of dungeon meshi confirmed Laois isn’t autistic. He’s normal

[@istvanbarath6333]

He may not be autistic, but he definitely isn't normal

[@iamjustkiwi]

Watching Kaburu stab Falin the way he did, even if she is fused with a monster, really creeped me out. I had weird vibes from him the entire time as intended but man, my stomach dropped with how cold and clinical he was when it came to it. Amazing writing of a character and a show as a whole.

[@gunplasm86]

Kabru is to people as Laios is to monsters. In that regard he'd make a better king. My tinfoil hat theory is that Laios passes kingship on to Kabru.

[@irontide696]

I think Laios will use his control over the dungeon and therefore the monsters within to show them off to the outside world, I imagine the ending would include people learning to live with monsters in a balance, instead of people being afraid and killing them on sight.

[@Vee-naner]

Or maybe Kabru as an advisor to Laios?

[@irontide696]

@@Vee-naner I could definitely see that

[@kevind3974]

So spoiler He tries.

[@DreamersOfReality]

Spoiler: he's too cynical and jaded to be a good king.

[@123guilhermina321]

Yesss I know i've made a lot of comments about him already, but he's probably one of my favorite characters from any media, and imo he only gets better/ more interesting and layered as the story goes on. It's not often that you find a morally grey/ anti-hero type character that's so beautifully written, and especially not a character of color (which, like female characters, have the tendency to be flattened into either devils or angels by most media, something dungeon meshi masterfully avoids doing with it’s women as well). I don't really remember what i thought about him at this point in the story tbh? I was hooked by the character as soon as he was introduced, but initially more as a messy/more villainous figure i thought would be really entertaining. After his flashback and backstory tho, i was already preparing myself to fall in love with him gdgbs especially because imo it’s not written as a cheap "tragic backstory" as you see so often in media, but actually reframes a lot of his behavior- good and bad- and is surprisingly accurate to real life ptsd, in it’s more delicate and more absurd/strange/complicated symptoms, while the character is also never just reduced to that trauma- he's also his interests, humor, weirdo aspects.... Anyway. Great video.

[@AudileSiren]

OH, watching this and having READ the manga is AMAZING! Because honestly, knowing everything, it's an awesome analysis! Seeing your theories and giggling at where they diverge and line-up is also a personal joy. I'm so excited for season two!

[@antiquatedgraves9426]

"Shinji has clinical depression." LOL! Accurate. Do you know why I like Kabru especially? The ways in which his intelligence- and probably PTSD social symptoms- present makes other characters visibly uncomfortable. At least, where those feelings come from their own allies or as split-second evaluations from strangers. I rarely ever see this in shows. These characters in other writing are typically praised by the masses or are solely awe-inspiring. They don't show the realistic down-sides of living with this type of personality. Sometimes, people can admire you. They're also suspicious of you, and never fully let their guard down in your company. Your friendship dynamic is never as close as you hope it to be, often because people are too secretly worried you somehow must be scheming something. (The word "scheming" is a loaded one, but I can't think of a better substitute.) Due to their own inward insecurities, people will be quick to assume you must be harshly judging them; even if your evaluations don't come with any ascribed moral attachments or you refuse to voice them. I'm excited to see where the story takes Kabru.

[@MustachebatChaos]

As a Manga reader I am fascinated with your guesses for both of these characters. But your mention of “a regular anime protagonist will not work in dungeon meshi” is… the entire point of dungeon meshi. I can’t really explain that without going into spoilers, but I will say that all three of the main players (Liaos, Kaburu, and The Mad Mage) are special little freaks doing their best with the knowledge they have. A huge theme is Desire, best exemplified by Liaos’ obsession with monsters and eating them. He’s gotten so deep into the dungeon when no one else has because of that Desire. You could almost say the dungeon itself runs on Desires, something that’s been hinted at in the episode with the spirit sherbert, I believe, or maybe the one just before or after it. “We want to sleep” will cause the dungeon to shift to give the party a safe-ish place to rest, close to a safe with clean water for cooking, washing, and drinking in a nearby wall fountain. Definitely going to follow for more, because hopefully you’ll make another analysis on Kaburu and Liaos once the series ends, just to see if your thoughts on the two of them changed drastically or not. Good pair of videos regardless! Edit: Just watched your video about Desires and the importance of them lmao.

[@remberedink]

Kabru's one of my favorite characters, and as a manga reader, its fun hearing you have some of the same theories I did while I was reading

[@Kokoamaya935]

Kind of insane that Laios, the guy that loves monsters and enjoys studying them, is the best at defeating and killing them. And Kabru, the guy that continuously watches and examines people, is great at outsmarting and killing humans. Hell of a foil indeed.

[@Testbug-dy6tj]

By the book sounds smart. Its making sure nothing will happen. Do you want a "maybe this will work, im just trying something new."... Marcil was smart.

[@mcpicklebreath]

i had a lot of fun watching this, smiling the whole way through, really cool to hear all your ideas of where things could go and how these characters will grow!

[@jemleye]

Kabru is strongly "ends justify the means" kind of justice guy. Ver, very strongly. Would he actually be a good king, or would his overpowering sense of moral justice twist his actions into something paranoid and tyrannical? If he were to become a king, would he leave Laios, or Marcille alive? Twisting his statement concerning saving Falin: "How many people is he willing to kill to 'save' everyone?"

[@ronan3730]

When we were first introduced to Kabru and his party I literally had no idea why we were even being given their perspective, like they seemed such pointless characters for us to have to learn about; They weren't really antagonists neither protagonists. However, farther into the story I realized how useful their presence was, as I feel like seeing things through Kabru's POV actually made me understand Laios so much better. Then I learned what a FOIL was and I was like ohhhh that makes so much sense now 🤣

[@ponycai]

My headcanon of the after story: Kabru reforms Melini and constructs a constitutional monarchy. Laios Toden I becomes the symbol and mascot of the country and Kabru becomes the first prime minister.

[@chadpowell1832]

Kabru is such a good character, I love how he acknowledges his place in the story and still makes his mark in his own way

[@drewstrauser2617]

You’re going to love the first episode of season 2.

[@ponycai]

The "Six days" part is my favourite part of Dunmeshi. Such a fantastic narrative and a huge elaboration of the characters.

[@whiskyconmayo]

Love me some Kabru and his beautiful blue peepers. Also, your video editing skills are getting better and better. Nice going!

[@elliotdater-roberts5617]

Honestly, I think it's Laios's respect and desire to maintain the dungeon that will make him "king". Kabru want's to end the dungeons, but they're not something that needs to be "ended", they inhibit another part of the cycle of nature. Laios and Senshi seem to be relatively similar in their desire to live inside the system of the dungeon, Kabru's fear is the annihilation brought from the fallout of the dungeons, although he doesn't yet know it. Laios may simply become king in name only, or may not even become king at all, he may simply raise the hold that the dungeon has on the dead, and remove the ability of revival. I think this is hinted at mostly by Senshi's actions and thoughts, notably his aversion to revivification. All guess work, who knows. But this is how I'd honestly like it to play out. Can't wait for next season.

[@MiacterVODS]

I loved both this one and the Laios video and let me tell you as someone who has read the manga wholly, you bring some truthful and interesting ideas, but the end result is even more on point , once either the whole manga is animated or you read it yourself, please come back to both videos and reiterate them fully, cause it will make for amazing analysis

[@jvever4904]

I adored Kabru while watching the anime and loved him even more when I read through the manga! Glad to see fans appreciate Kabru for his complexity and nature as a foil to Laios.

[@Niko-lemon]

Ever since reading the manga, Kabru has become my favorite fictional character of all time. I clicked on this video expecting to get mad and disagree but honestly it's exactly what I would have said. It makes me really excited for when season 2 comes out so further analysis of his character can be made considering the next part of the story is very focused on him at some points. This video is so good. Really great analysis. Approved by Kabru Super Fan 👍

[@omega5-b2h]

This has to be the first anime ever that made me wanted to read the manga I just love dungeon meshi. Im starting from chapter 1 even to I have rewatched the anime 5 times

[@davidosbourne219]

This show single handedly reignited my interest in fantasy as a genre, it’s unreasonably good

[@azurerandomness]

I love Kabru

[@No1fan15]

I absolutely love Kabru, and i love your video's view on him! I think you absolutely nailed the major points of his character and why he works so well when put up alongside Laios. I'm excited to see your reactions to season 2 (which i hope remain blind but that's your choice to make) and the ways in which Kabru's arc develops!

[@SeafoamBoi]

Your analysis is so spot on it's unbelievable that you haven't even read the full story yet.

[@ichi_san]

this is such a stunning deep dive into Kabru's character. This is just incredible, you really peeled back all of his layers

[@b3njingle]

I love watching these as someone who finished the manga a whilleeee ago. You're so right bro you're not gonna be disappointed

[@BimblyWimbly]

its so refreshing to see a video made by someone who actually understands Dunmeshi

[@MyopicMickey]

Man,, can't wait for you guys to actually read the manga.

[@Rose-q4l]

I love Kabru, a lot of people tend to either say he's just good or just bad. What I love is, as you said, the big picture is so important to him that the small stuff his insgnificant, and he has his own strong sense of justice. He ultimatley has good motivations and tries to work towards good (He wants shortlived races to have more power on the world stage so long lived races don't steamroll them. when he finds out what "stage" the dungeon is at he desprately wants to prevent the canaries from creating another Utya on accident by mishadling the situation.). But, he does things like, permently kill people he thinks don't further his goal just because they get in the way, and manipulate almost everyone around him with no hesitation. He's also kinda thinks hes better than everyone else. I love his charachter so much and i really think hes trying to do whats best for everyone, even if he doesn't always go about it in the right ways.

[@swanprincex]

this character analysis so good and then you mention you havnt even read the manga i'm amazed!!!! You got such a good feel and described his charater so well, even from the little bit in the anime so far! we get so much more good Kabru content, I think you'll really enjoy it. This video was great, and I loved the observation about Kabru's strength reflected in his fighting style, I remember reading it in the manga and not quite catching that distinction but its so true - he knows humans so well, thats why he can kill them, vs Laios knowledge of monsters... ah, just so good!

[@4nnih6]

Ohhhh, I love that Kabru is being appreciated by new fans through the anime!!! After he debuted in the anime, it felt like fans were maybe under-appreciating him a bit? He's such a fascinating character and goes through such an intereting arc (imo just all of DM is interesting in this way). It's also fun for me to see a brown-skinned character in a fantasy setting written in such complex ways. There's something really relatable about him. He really is the perfect character. I also like all the nuances of Kabru's party and how each of them relate to each other/what their relationships are like with each other and Kabru. It really makes the foil aspects with our main party stick out even more too. Kabru's party being absolutely convinced that Kabru makes the right decisions vs Laios' party's chaos and being livid or disappointed with him. But they all still care for each other, which makes Kabru's observations so interesting to know about. It's such a fun story to see! I like how you worded a lot of the video!! It's so interesting hearing what anime-onlys think of the story so far!!! I love that people are seeing the foils going on with the two parties!! I'm still reading the manga, but way way ahead of the anime, but seeeing this now in the anime, this point somehow feels so early, even though we've gone through so much stuff already by this point in the story. Small note: someone else probably already mentioned this, but it's interesting what you said about his change in self-adress: manly vs more timid, but in a very exaggerated way? Boku is usually quite casual and often used when you meet people for the first time (but I could be remembering wrong, and I'm just a casual weeb like everyone else my age - it's been a while since I studied anything about japanese language conventions.) While ore is seen as more thuggish or kinda "vulgar" but . So Kabru was basically trying to give the impression of a tough, thuggish adventurer (like everyone else on surface), while meeting Laios properly for the first time, he uses a more neutral word. I've read somewhere that "ore" can also be more "casual" when it's with friends or other people of equal footing. (but again, idk for sure.) Now I feel like it's something I'm definitely gonna have to re-read when I get my hand on the official translation again. Maybe someone has done a deep-dive on this on tumblr or something? probably very likely! really cool that this series is quickly getting more fans because of the anime.

[@kamatz83]

I hated Kabru from the start because he is presented as every shonen main character, he's super friendly, heroic and wants the greater good. It was super interesting to see him act so rutheless and take justice in his own hands. That swayed my view of him. He never became one of my favorites but he grew on me and I accept him for who he is and I also understood his reasons. He's an awesome character and an awesome vehicle for what is to come in the second season.

[@witchcharming792]

as a manga reader, at this point in the story, i wanted them to kiss.

[@verity_amo]

5:19 TEMENOS THEME SPOTTED GRAHHH

[@aristopheliese]

watching this as someone who has read the manga all the way through this is so interesting of a video, you have a great and very accurate view on his character along with some well done thoughts and comments

[@austincde]

"Kabru" doesn't sound like a word anymore from the amount of times it stands out in this essay 😆

[@ozziescribbler]

Excellent analysis of Kabru, his arc (so far) and the mirroring Laios. I love how much info about all this could be taken only from the half of the story that's in the anime, because (no spoilers) OF COURSE a ton of questions posed here inform how the story and characters unfold by the end of the manga. Just shows the quality of Kui's writing.

[@sharpen193]

commenting that i love this essay, you have a great personality and you made your various points in ways i didn't even consider!!

[@locatixs]

I really hoped you'd delve into manga territory for the last part, to really show how Kabru is Laios' foil, it would've paired really well with your previous analysis. But at least you'll find out eventually and maybe a part two will be made? Regardless, this was really well made and I'll definitely look at other videos you've made!

[@Sundji]

the chrono trigger music in the background is so satisfying

[@hanniecakes]

rip kabru you wouldve loved psychology

[@cindyrose5306]

cant wait for the rest of this story to be animated so that you can talk more about kabru and get more into mithrun's character! both of them are inverses of laios and their stories intertwine and change the emotional landscape of dungeon meshi so much. i cant wait to see how you feel about mithrun once his story is completely told!

[@nilevinsmoke5880]

If Laios and Kabru rule a nation it would be the strongest country in no time there both great leaders

[@AuroraPaintBrush4444]

And another good video! Do you think you'll do another essay comparing the two different venturing teams? The parallels?

[@nolf_flon7686]

I like how Kabru serves as a good foil to Laios, and, while he has flaws, they don’t seem manufactured to just make him incompetent compared to Laios. For example, one of the parts I liked least about BNHA is how Mirio is introduced as a kind of foil to Deku, being so powerful he was the ideal inheritor of ‘one for all’, but their goals and personalities were so similar that Mirio had to be made unfit by not being willing to save someone where Deku was ‘always willing to.’ With so little distinction between them, it felt so cheap and really gave Deku a ‘Mary Sue’ effect. Kabru’s goals being so distinct, while potentially having the same end goal as Laios, and serving a different purpose makes him incredibly nuanced. He shows where Laios might have to grow and also reflects his own flaws that aren’t just ‘gotchas’.

[@pinkapetdesigns]

Opening the video to hear Beneath the Mask was amazing, perfect choice

[@chelspapaya43]

“A man scared of monsters becomes a monster himself” damnnnnnnnnn that’s a rlly good line

[@Jergling]

"I'm starting to think the dungeon might be... EVIL!" -Laios, 80% of the way through the story.

[@imaninjakinda9640]

awesome video!!! you made me see Kabru in a different light, a new perspective, thanks adn keep up the amazing work

[@riviriddle]

it sounded like there was some Octopath Traveler 2 music in there at ~5:45! (that's cool)

[@whathappenswhenimbored]

I feel like Laios becomes king of the Golden Country and Kabru will be his advisor or something. The person who keeps the kingdom from falling while Laios is being Laios.

[@EduardoNeiva-m7q]

"why is Kabru from dungeon meshi made of aluminum foil?" i thought, as i clicked the video

[@jeffgoode9865]

Kabru was so lucky to have Hien on his shoulders. 😩🤌

[@herecomemacOnTT]

I am so excited for you to see season 2 when it releases! I watched the first 5 episodes and DEMOLISHED the manga, and I'm genuinely excited for the people who are going in anime-only!!!!

[@artnerd3727]

Cant wait for anime watchers to see his relationship with Mithrun

[@agustinacarrasco6440]

so much kabumisu incoming

[@merlumili]

every time I think about seeing on the first level and 6 days animated, I explode. Such a good part of the manga...