Writin Reviews: Dungeon Meshi is my Favorite Love Story

[@dungeondog]

the real romance of dungeon meshi is between every single person who watches the show and Senshi 👨‍🍳 ❤️

[@WritinRealSlow]

truth

[@futuristicgirl14]

He’s so fine

[@reaperbear1]

@@WritinRealSlow 41:43 What is with the flags? Like for Italy and why are you calling the dark elf trans?

[@WritinRealSlow]

@@reaperbear1 Well you see, it's an interesting concept from my culture, perhaps you've heard of it. It's called a "joke"?

[@wrenross5315]

I just want to mention, the author of Dungeon Meshi has written other works about autism. I don't know if she is autistic herself or maybe has an autistic close friend or family member, but she certainly understands what being autistic is like down to the minutia, of things that neurotypical people would never see but are huge for anyone autistic. Some of her doodles about Laios and Falin's fashion choices show they have problems with a lot of clothing textures, for example, and how they don't like to wear turtlenecks or shaped clothing because it makes them feel confined and itchy. I know we all have to hedge our bets on representation, but this is one where I really believe the autism is intentional here. It's okay to let your guard down about it. The protagonist of a super popular anime is canonically autistic and it shows sides to autism most shows never would. It's real! Rejoice!

[@bummedmachinist7483]

Even if by some bizarre happenstance it wasnt intended, the material/real world quantifiers for autism are just so strong that you have to distinguish this as a logical substantiated read of the character instead of just an idealist headcanon

[@Zane-It]

Im autistic and I would have never guess that this was the case.

[@bummedmachinist7483]

​@@Zane-It Does your autism manifest in a way that affects your social skills/awareness at all? If it doesn't then I understand how you don't see Laios' social alienation in yourself. His dynamic and interactions in the Shuro episodes essentially confirm it. His only friend on the island and he misread the relationship! I've lived that exact moment in my own life and I have word for word spoken the lines that Laios himself does in that scene. It was simply soul nourishing for me

[@Zane-It]

@@bummedmachinist7483 I always saw the knight as a food enthusiast nothing more and his friends understandably unaccepting of eating unknown things.

[@Querez8504]

​​​​@@Zane-ItSo a pretty straight forward and surface level read. Honestly, that actually makes sense for someone autistic, as someone who's also autistic myself. I remember sometimes not catching details or plot relevations in stories until being told in video essays later on and stuff. You know, it's actually kind of ironic that you didn't pick up on the signs that Laios is (most likely) autistic

[@hyobro8392]

That tangent on the Laios infantilization was a real breath of fresh air, especially considering we do see Laios acknowledge attraction, and even proof that he experiences some of it. It's not usually the focus but it's there, even if it's mainly in one bonus chapter and another upcoming chapter that people misread A Lot. It's tiring and it' even worse when people argue that he's "too autistic for that" or "just a monsterfucker" when he expresses no sexual attraction to monsters.

[@mypassport5436]

Which bonus chapter was it again?

[@hyobro8392]

@@mypassport5436 monster tidbits 2 (orcs) where Zon asks him if he thinks his wives are attractive because tallmen have different beauty standards. Also I think we can count the more recent bonus chapter about the ex party member who was trying to get special treatment. Laios didn't realize what she was doing but after the party talked to him, he's careful to not repeat that kind of situation, showing he understands how it works. I believe that might be a reason for him being so hesitent to touch Marcille when learning healing magic, which Chilchack understands as well.

[@hyobro8392]

@@mypassport5436 also for the upcoming chapter, it's the one right after Izutsumi fights bugs (same monster different chapter) I put the name below just in case to avoid spoilers It's the "Winged Lion" chapter, right after "Succubus II" from memory.

[@genericname2747]

He likes boobs and butts. Also he DID join the military so it is impossible for him not to know a lot about sex

[@LadyMisalein]

Laios and Falin also have been engaged before... As stated in the manga as throw away line

[@DrNiradino]

43:00 Laios party was going at a fairly fast pace, getting to Falin at least a week before Shuro who was actually speedrunning the dungeon. Situation also didn't become dire, until they found out that Dragon isn't hibernating and hence digesting at a drastically reduced speed, but active, which happened only in the Orc village. As for painting specifically, Laios does exactly the same, as he was doing thorough out the show - he tried to scavenge some supplies. Just because he failed, doesn't make it any different from them harvesting mandragoras for example.

[@MirellaSnape]

Yeah, the reason they made it before Shuro was that they started first, and had Chilchuck's knowledge of all the shortcuts, the help and contacts of Senshi (the orcs gave them the map).

[@paintedhen5242]

Arguably the living paintings sidequest was the most plot-important thing to happen before Falin’s rescue

[@Rose-Icosahedron]

Yeah, it just doesn't feel like that at first since we don't have a reason to see it as important (yet!).

[@XXPiggyzXX652544]

That's true. In a show like this there's no such thing as "filler"

[@respectfulevil9022]

Funniest thing is marcille didnt learn dark magic to save falin, she just happened to know necromancy

[@KamikazeIsaaku]

Yea, her story is she's a half elf so she outlived her father before she was a young adult, she's in her 50s, but won't live as long as an elf. So her desire is that everyone race lives the same amount of time as other race since she already watched her human side of her family die off already.

[@vicenteisaaclopezvaldez2450]

You got it backwards: Elves live to 500, half-elves live to be 1000 (only reason they're not a global power is because half-elves are sterile)

[@sloth_onda7408]

@@KamikazeIsaaku(Spoiler warning) Actually, when a long lived and a short lived races mix, their children’s age expectancy gets really weird, so Marcille will actually live much longer than “normal” elves. Elves live around 500 years, while Marcille will live to be 1000 at least. This is one onc the reasons she wants to make everyone live to a thousand.

[@chengkuoklee5734]

She also has reasonable motives for that.

[@thanquolrattenherz9665]

@@sloth_onda7408 could she not simply turn laios and gordon ramsey into a lich this way they would likely also make it to a thousand.

[@alsy6813]

I understand your dislike of Kabru's personality, but would like to plead his case, because he is, actually, my favorite character. What I find interesting about Kabru is how you could read him as autistic, too, just on the opposite side of the spectrum from where Laios with. Where Laios is fascinated with monsters and knows how to interact with them, Kabru is fascinated with humans and knows what makes them tick. Laios struggles with communication, Kabru excels at it, but it's in a very calculating way. I dont see his behavior as manipulation as much as it feels to me like some heavy, heavy masking. It's a reading that is admittedly very personal to me, as to a highly masking autistic person who is quite good at socializing and reading social cues. None of it came naturally to me. I play 5d chess in my head just to get by in every social interaction. I am hyper aware of how anything you do or say will influence a person in some way, and try to calculate my actions according to it, so that I'm accepted and liked. Is it manipulative? You could say so. I would say that it's necessary for survival in this world, and the fact that I do it intentionally doesn't make it worse than when neurotypical people do the same things without thinking. Being sware of social relationships and wanting people to like you is not, in fact, an evil thing. And then there's the matter of trauma that influences a lot of Kabru's character. The "tragic backstory with a dead mum" is something that had happened to him and that did shape him as a person. He is the only survivor of terrible tragedy. He saw death and destruction when he was a child, and he came to a dungeon as an adult with the explicit goal of stopping the tragedy from happening again. I would even say he, indeed, more than anything is driven by love and desire to protect others, even strangers he has no connection to, from having to see their life destroyed as his was. Are his methods questionable? Sure. And I'm not even going to argue otherwise. He's got issues. Not liking him on a personal level is valid. Having said that, I, with all respect, vehemently disagree on your reading of him. But look forward to see if and how your thoughts change down the line, when the anime stops being so set on painting him as a villain. (Which, the anime does do subtle things that seem to frame him more as an antagonist than manga does. In manga, we're given more insight into his thoughts, which are often played for laughs like in the moment with the omelette. But thats besides the point.) Thank you for the great video!

[@kjarakravik4837]

Same, although in my case it was neurodivergency plus wanting to figure out how to make my mom stop hitting me for everything I said and did as a kid. And at this point in life I can't just turn off the part of my brain that's hyper aware of everything I say and do and how that affects other people. And we all want love and affection, every single person on this planet. Difference is just from how many people and how hard we're willing to work to get it. I just really love Kabru because he's the first character who I relate to in this way I've seen who wasn't portrayed as inherently evil. Also, he drops the whole "wanting to prove the Toudens are evil" thing immediately after meeting Laios in the dungeon cause he correctly deduces that Laios isn't a bad guy, so I wouldn't say he was obsessed with it

[@donnie_duckling]

Yeah, I also see Kabru as neurodivergent or an CPTSD / child abuse survivor, both really While I do find myself more in Laios' side of the spectrum, I also went through traumatic experiences with my parents that made me hyper-aware of how my body language & tone should be delivered to prevent even worse abuse from happening; and Kabru has pretty much gone through it and back. I see him as a foil of both Laios and Izuzumi's characters. He wants to preserve himself and survive, just as he did as a child; but he also loves those around him so much that he will do anything in his power to help preserve them, and the peaceful life he now has. No wonder then why some of his most controlling thoughts and anxieties arise when Laios is nearby. He cannot figure him out. He doesn't understand him or get his goals because Laios's thoughtwave greatly differs from other explorers and members of society in general. To imagine/see Laios become the Dungeon Master completely by chance when his one and only goal, apart from feeding his special interest, was saving his sister, and acting as if defeating Thistle was another Tuesday; while at the same time, in Kabru's eyes, being completely oblivious to how even retain any semblance of a "normal" relationship by society's standards can definitely be extremely jarring and something that could easily fuel the initial thought of the brothers "being evil". I think that it actually gets addressed later on in the manga by Laios himself, and I think that it speaks volumes about the real depth of his character.

[@joyc.e.7511]

​@@kjarakravik4837jeez, we seem really similar. Tiptoeing around my mom and doing everything to please her naturally made me do that with everyone. Which weirdly made me distant with most people because I'd hide how I actually felt so they'd like me😅. I understand Kabru on a visceral level...

[@nnelg8139]

I want to add Mr Tance (the grouchy gnome Namari now works for) as another example. If you pay careful attention, you'll notice his entire party is basically his wife and (adopted) kids, and his dour demeanor even breaks when they're the ones in danger (as opposed to himself or the "hired help"). He also declines to extract profit from rezzing Kabru's party, only charging the cost of materials despite how deep in the dungeon they were (as the corpse retrievers were pushing them deeper to increase rates). The corpse retrievers and similar money-loving adventurers are another interesting ingredient to the setting, as we've recently learned how their greed and desire seems to stimulate the dungeon. In contrast to the orcs and Senshi, who can live relatively peaceful lives within the dungeon because they only wish for a place to exist. Oh, and then there's the Golden Villagers, who "live" in a horrible state of apathy, devoid of love or any other strong emotion beyond a wish to escape... Which I only *now* realize (even as a manga reader) is probably significant. All of this just goes to show how Ryoko Kui is a master of her craft.

[@WritinRealSlow]

Oh definitely, it's all seriously good stuff. I just wanted to focus on the main characters this time because I wasn't sure how well the video would be received and it was already pretty long. I'll probably make another video when the season's finished to talk about the secondary and tertiary characters and the themes of kindness in the show, since this was a lot of fun!

[@powerofanime1]

@@WritinRealSlow I would be delighted to see that video!

[@saps5831]

I think it's innacurate to call the villagers devoid of any strong emotion, they definitely wanted to escape as their biggest thing but it is not as if they hadn't been actually trying to live still, even if they were losing a lit of what they loved throughout their time there

[@lostfound2834]

Funnily enough, there are a few bonus pages from the manga that were not adapted that easily answer the question of Laios understanding sex or not. It's when they are captured by the orcs and, after the feast, Laios and the orc chief talk about how each race view attraction, with the chief saying that they have very different tastes in relation to women while Laios disagrees and says how their tastes in the opposite sex are very similar, detailing both races' beauty standards and comparing it to one another. This implies that Laios is not "too autistic" for things such as sex and love, I mean come on the dude's a monster lover I'm pretty sure he KNOWS what the hell the bees and the flowers are.

[@WritinRealSlow]

I think I've seen the page you're talking about floating around tumblr, and you're right, it does prove the point fairly well. I just wanted to focus on the anime, since that's how I'm primarily experiencing the story, and I think it's how most new people will be introduced to it as well.

[@heath6802]

Callback to when Izutsumi was naked for bathing/sauna reasons, and Laios’ eyes were covered. Only his. Because while cat girl herself was cool with him being able to see, they didn’t want him trying to figure out for real if she had a chest that was more human or more cat… because he asked. He wasn’t trying to be lewd (in my opinion) he just genuinely wanted to know about a race he has little to no experience with. But yeah, it’s absolutely true Laios isn’t unaware of sex or sex appeal. Izutsumi herself didn’t even read the situation as sexual! It was only the other party members that prevented the conversation, not Laios or Izutsumi and that’s interesting THEIR discomfort was triumphant over the two actually involved

[@duykhangtran4406]

I would say that the "tonal whiplash" was one of my favorite thing about the series. Mostly because it feels like an in character attempt to lighten the mood with jokes or not being as tense as they might have to be rather than a random joke being thrown into a should be serious moment and ruined it

[@gir240]

feels like a failing of the guy making the video not really understanding that

[@ricardom3114]

Izutsumi and Tade were absolutely slaves since Toshiro's dad bought them and they aren't allowed to leave. Though Maizuru also used the slave collar on Toshiro (re: Volume #6 Bonus Comic) so the actual hierarchy for the rest of Toshiro's servants is a bit blurry.

[@johannesgutenburg9837]

she used something SIMILAR to the slave collar on shuro. it's so funny that people endlessly try to soften the fact that maizuru would have happily murdered izustumi and shuro does not give a shit. like come on let characters have flaws.

[@MirellaSnape]

​@@johannesgutenburg9837 more like Shuro didn't know about the collar, since he wasn't even aware that Maizuru was the one that put the curse on him. He only knows that the paper hag scared the shit out of him as a child, he couldn't kill it or run away from it, and had to run to his dad to save him.

[@johannesgutenburg9837]

@@MirellaSnape the LENGTHS lmao. he is a slave owner honey.

[@MirellaSnape]

I think for Shuro's attendants (that his father gave him), Maizuru is the leader, then Hien, then Benichidori, then Tade and Izutsumi.

[@Madison-ur2qn]

Very interesting thoughts, especially on Kabru lol. I really like him, especially because he actually reminds me of my sister and how her autism works- recognizing the threads and hierarchies that stretch between people and how they interact and intersect. Something that she complains a lot of people aren’t and don’t have to be aware of like she is. I think one of the things I like most about Dungeon Meshi is how Kui treats pretty much every character seriously and with a ton of empathy- everyone from Thistle to Kabru I think!

[@WritinRealSlow]

Oh kabru is absolutely well done, and I love the role he plays in the overall narrative. I just wouldn't like him at all if I ever met him in person.

[@NaBa.O3O]

Pretty much everyone in Dungeon Meshi has autistic traits in one way or another. And the fact they're all still depicted as people with individual interests and personalities and not like charicatures or archetypes is *Cheff's Kiss~* Kui is an amazing author. Having said that... Kabru is a master manipulator (autism or not, justified or not, he is nonetheless). He molds himself into whatever he figures the people he interacts with want, and even his party members seem to just chalk his behavior up as "being really good with people". The only reason we anime watchers and manga readers know that he is like that so clearly, is because we're watching from an outside point of view and have access to a lot of inside info. For someone meeting him Kabru person without having seen/watched the series beforehand, it would be hard to dislike Kabru (at least at first)... because we'd be facing the mask he'd craft specifically to talk to us.

[@vianneyb.8776]

I actually don't mind that much how Marcille is treated by the show in the beginning. IMO, it is a good lesson that despite being very competent at offensive magic and even having a very precious and rare skill in using dark magic, you have to know when your skills are overkill. Laios even mentions that her stronger skills WILL be needed later and she can't spend her mana for little things on the first floors. On another note, she acts as a representation of the public with how she sees monster food. And it is also great to have newfound respect for her when she becomes indispensable around the dragon level.

[@vianneyb.8776]

And happy pride month! Can't wait for the video about ace representation!

[@nnelg8139]

Personally, I like the tone breaks between serious and silly; IMO it's part of the message of the series about how life always goes on and no matter what happens, we all need to stop and sit down and eat eventually. I've heard people say that it's better to watch this series one episode at a time, with long breaks to eat and/or sleep between then, instead of binging it all in one sitting. Though you're right that early installments are less strong; the author was still finding her stride. (I will point out that they are weeks worth of travel away from Falin, so it's not like running now will make you arrive sooner; and Marcille was also probably in denial of the reality that there was slim hope; but those weren't really shown in the story at the time.) There's similar reasoning for Marcille being the butt of jokes early on; author being too heavy-handed and perhaps worrying about being cancelled early if the manga wasn't funny enough. It did strongly establish Marcille's outward character before we got to see the stark contrast with her inner character, at least. As fo Laios learning... Many times, many characters do point out to him what he's doing wrong, and tell him or the audience that he needs to improve, but there hasn't been any part in the story which focuses on it. He does slowly improve over time (idk if starting Laios could have figured out the Dopplegangers) but it's slow, and the story seems to be pushing a more middle ground message of "one's greatest weakness can also be one's greatest strength", since so many problems are also solved by Laios being the blunt monster-maniac he is. But that still causes problems, too, so I don't think it's saying you don't need to work on improving. Just that self-improvement and self-acceptance don't have to be exclusive.

[@buildinasentry1046]

Imo the comedy surrounding Marcille in the beginning never felt meanspirited.

[@XXPiggyzXX652544]

For the most part, my husband and I watched this as it came out. We would watch it specially while eating dinner 😂 it just felt... fitting.

[@Hallasammal]

I don't think it's fair to call Falin and Marcille's relationship queerbait - i think some people throw that word around pretty liberally. If anything, I see their relationship as being extremely queer coded and i'm pretty confident it's intentional to some level. There's no teasing aimed at the audience. They just have a very close and devoted relationship that DOES very easily read as romantic, but it works very well as a platonic one too.

[@WritinRealSlow]

Thank you, I appreciate your input ^_^

[@nevinmyers1245]

Yeah I actually appreciate this about the anime and manga. There's no canon ships, but the author has written close relationships so well that almost any ship can work without being forced. It gives the audience more freedom to imagine it how they want while still delivering on the close relationships they want.

[@gracekim1998]

Yeah I’m tired of people claiming something is bait when it’s not 😅

[@gracekim1998]

@@nevinmyers1245exactly

[@chengkuoklee5734]

Me too. It's just beautiful sisterhood.

[@christopheraustin5915]

We find out in side content that Kabru is that way b/c he was raised by an elf who adopted short lived races as a hobby. He had to be on her good side to get what he wanted, so he learned very early how to manipulate his caregiver to be invested in him. He learned early on to be whoever people wanted him to be as a survival tactic. He was pretty much more of a pet than Izutzumi.

[@unnecessarilyhonest6051]

i think milsiril and kabru's relationship is way more complicated than just "pet and his owner". milsiril definitely sees kabru more than a pet, she got into situations she didnt want just to make kabru happy and milsiril's family also see kabru as a part of their family. i think whole pet stuff comes from them being elves, even marcile and falin's relationship is similar yet we know they care a lot about each other. like i said its very complicated and i think its beautiful

[@nunyab-]

all of this is spoilers. his childhood is elaborated on in side chapters, but we abaolutely see it in main chapters that the anime hasn't gotten to yet. it's too soon to tell this stuff to anime fans. let people make their opinions on kabru and wait for season 2 to give them the rest of his story.

[@XXPiggyzXX652544]

​@nunyab- yeah especially when this video explicitly asked to avoid spoilers in the comments. 🤭

[@zenisbest8090]

I'm going to have to disagree with you, man. From what we get in the bonus material, Kabru's relationship with Milsiril isn't perfect and it has a lot of baggage, but we never see him giving up what he wants to fit in or to earn her love. In fact, we see the opposite happen twice - when he convinces her to train him and when he convinces her to take him to her family get together

[@christopheraustin5915]

@@zenisbest8090 I don’t think that disproves my prior statement…

[@jodrako4341]

Well thereis a reason why at the start they aren't too rushed to get to Falin and why they are so relatively chill when reassembling her bones: they are very used to death They all have been killed and resurrected while exploring the dungeon before and they know that so long as they get there under a month her body will probably be fine (since they didn't know that the dragon was still active has a dragon normally spend most of the time asleep), so it's a bad situation and they are worried but not freaking out. It's not "Oh no my sister is dead now i have to do everything to save her" freak out, but "oh her body is to far away to our usual resurrection method so better move as fast as possible" It's part of the world building that adventures are very casual about death in the dungeon. The painting episode is something that the character comments too! That was Laois curiosity and love of monsters that slow them down. It was intentional. And they were so casual about the bones because *they had a solution* if you notice the ones that are more "cheerfull" in that scene are Laois and Marcille because they are so sure that it will work, so they can get their inner nerds out (because it's useful! Laois knowledge about canine skeletons helps has much as Marcille) And much of the message of dungeon menshi is that life will always go on, no matter what happens, and life is often quite ridiculous. With dungeon meshi it's not a case of tonal whiplash but a intentional decision, this is very much a black comedy that also explore the emotional tool of what this characters go through. Like there is a scene later in the manga the made me bust a lung laughing so hard and immediately after there was one if the most heartbreaking panels ever. Comedy and tragedy are very strongly related and dungeon menshi absolutely thrive in that.

[@jooot_6850]

Can't have comedy without a sting of tragedy to go with it. It makes it real.

[@normal6483]

As a manga reader: you are *so* ready for season 2.

[@WritinRealSlow]

I'm so excited!

[@chengkuoklee5734]

As a manga fan all I need to say is Bon Appetit in 2nd season.

[@michaelcreel6522]

As a manga reader, there is not much I can say in terms of agreement or disagreement in your characterizations. I will say, though, while Marcille was also my favorite character in the story at the point you all are at, Laios managed to clutch my "Favorite Protagonist" position by the end. I have no idea if you will agree with the assessment or not later on, but I doubt you won't love the rest regardless.

[@WritinRealSlow]

I'm sure I will! I do love laios already, I hope I didn't come off as if I dislike him.

[@anaiaram]

YOU. YOU'RE THE ONLY PERSON THAT GETS IZUTSUMI. GOOD JOB. i do think her attitude is exacerbated by being a teen but gosh so many people gloss over her trauma!! there's some more stuff about her backstory that i can't recall if it's from the manga or from side comics so i will say nothing. as for Kabru, i started not liking him either but ended up finding him really funny. im not sure if i'd say he goes through character development later, or rather the story explores how his 5D chess mentality works and fails. considering you said it reminded you of someone you dislike i wouldn't blame you if he's just not your cup of tea. HOWEVER. one thing i will point out is that he doesn't really think the Touden siblings are "bad people", he just thinks they aren't trustworthy because they were easily taken advantage of. he wants to avoid the Dungeon collapsing like it did in his hometown, so his ultimate goal is to take control of it- or failing that, since he's not strong enough, to be close to whoever does. and the idea of someone like Laois (feckless + monster loving) taking that place is... well, unironically triggering. in a way that is love for humans i guess? (also A+ song choices)

[@alainagillett9266]

Kabru could represent a love of justice. He gives me mad paladin vibes

[@ClowninnAround]

I think it’s more a love of humanity, specifically for tall men and other short lived races. He desperately wants them to be on the same playing field as the long lived species and feels they deserve to be see as people too. Either way kabru such a complex character that it’s easy to mischaracterize if you look at him from the surface.

[@Samtasticano]

He's humanity, that's it. Kabru does whatever it takes to gain his advantage and is even a little bit selfish, he just acts nice because he feels the need to act that way. But, in the other side, he still cares about how others feel.

[@BlackReshiram]

dungeon meshi my beloved Edit: BREAD! BREAD! BREAD! BREAD!

[@ChristmasCarolyn]

Liaos being depicted as a dog is so fitting. He's the Golden Retriever of the group. 🐶

[@ThatsABean]

I really don't see where people are getting "everyone shits on Marcille" in the early segments of the show. Sure the show makes her the main butt of the joke but there's always a silver-lining to her role within these segments. I never see the actual part where the characters actually insult or shit on her one-sidedly unless you decide to put the story and the characters as the same thing which even then doesn't track.

[@LokiToxtrocity]

Im a simple Toxtricity I see Dungeon meshi and Toxtricity I click. One thing I love about Laios is that he gives this sense of being stupid, but turns out hes smarter than he seems, his knowledge on monsters has helped others, and his respect for his teammates has allowed them to survive in the dungeon, him seeming to not pay attention only for him to have caught on to everything, makes him a threat to anyone underestimating him.

[@WritinRealSlow]

greetings fellow toxtricity! I honestly love how laios' niche knowledge and unique nature is depicted as his greatest strength.

[@chengkuoklee5734]

He actually very intelligent, it's just his intelligence is utilised on different direction.

[@idrisa7909]

I don't think Kabru is actually all that murder happy- mind you, i have not watched the dub, and i do think the clips you showed emphasized that way more. The "killing Laois in his mind as a reaction to stress thing" is 1) intended as comedic and 2) not something that indicates his actual behavior, which is, admittedly, very complicated when it comes to someone who wears a mask like Kabru does. I dont consider the private thoughts of a character to be as important as their actions, even their nasty and violent thoughts, especially because i have random violent thoughts of my own, including in reaction to stress (which is probably related to my own autism). He saw horrible violence at a young age, so it's an instinctive reaction for him. He knows better than to act on it, which is why he never (spoilers) makes a serious attempt on Laois's life, though he ends up having his own Shuro moment. Hes also really not obsessed with proving the Toudens are bad- he knows theyre contenders for conquering the dungeon, and he wants to ensure whoever does that will actually be a good ruler. His thing about them giving money isnt that it makes them morally complicit, its that they arent interested in people enough to know what happened with that money and that's a really bad quality in a ruler. I would agree though, that Kabru is driven by hate more than love, though we do get the reveal that part of his constant attempts to talk to Laois before finally meeting him in the dungeon were because he wanted friendship with him and he desperately wants to understand him- as well as the implication that this interest is partly because of Backstory stuff that has Kabru secretly worried he is part monster.

[@kayspaceprince]

As someone who’s finished the manga, that’s actually something that really compels me about Kabru - he’s so much The Manipulator tm on the surface, but he’s also from my perspective unfailingly kind. He doesn’t want anyone to suffer, from preventing disasters like what happened to his hometown to small stuff like how he adjusts himself to not disappoint his adopted mother. He’s almost selfless to a fault, which combines very nicely as a foil for Laois who takes care of himself so that he can have the energy to help others.

[@Kennyselman]

On the other hand...Dungeon Meshi is also an interesting exploration on parts of Dungeon Crawling that are impossible to AWFUL to roleplay, and would require a top tier DM to run a game with them intact. Supply, resource and timing management? Those are hard mechanics to run a campaign on, and Dungeon Meshi? Not only pulls it off, but deconstructs in real time how to do so. Plan out your locations, ecology and monsters, as well as which ones are useful as supplies, ingredients, and and tools or traps. And then there's the awesome character dynamics, and you know that's why everyone is loving this show...plus, ITS NOT A FREAKING ISEKAI, HALLEAU!!!!

[@LuigiLonLon]

All and all, out of EVERY single essay out of Dungeon MEshi, i think yours is THE best analysis of the series 11:45 I wont spoil much... but im VERY sure you'll love Season 2 Side note, THANK YOU for bringing up forth the difference of "Loving" and "Being in Love", you have no idea how frustrating it is for people specially this day and age how people can't tell apart the differences between philial love and eros love

[@WritinRealSlow]

people keep saying that, so I'm very excited for it! yeah, it's something I think about a lot. I'm just glad the show gave me the opportunity to talk about it.

[@alisiaraissa3687]

As a manga reader- I have to be honest with you, I was not really expecting much when it comes to anime-only analysis on Dungeon Meshi- but your topic and angle really peek my interest. well sufice to say that you managed to BLOW MY MIND when you mention the 4 types of love (Or in this case 5) and attribute them to this character- Like IT FIT SO WELL I do not like how most of the community depict Laois as this overly aloof bumbling idiot who only cares about eating moster and nothing else. I would argue that The kelpi episode really important to re-frame what he truly think about monster outside of morbid curiosity. its a harmful and dehumanizing take on a neurodivergent code and/or Canon character so thank you for calling that out (also, I highly incorage you check out the already animated chapters of the manga because there are some little characterasion of Laios and other stuff that get skip like how he internally judge Marcile to think its ok to eat animal testical and not monster- in fact he even say that some how worst- Its not much but its something to look back on) ALSO HOW DARE U USE BITTER WATER FOR FALINS PART AAAAAAAAAAAAA

[@WritinRealSlow]

I'm glad I could give you something good to watch! As for the fanonization of laios, I think it stems from people really wanting to be able to group characters into easy to understand groups of tropes so they don't have to really unpack their relationship to a character and the work they're from. Grouping like things is human nature, but it's still important to really think about the media we consume, and a lot of people don't WANT to do that. They want simple, easily digestible characters they can project their headcanons onto, and if they'll do it by force if they have to, which I really don't think is a healthy attitude to have toward something you supposedly love. Sorry for the ramble, I just really appreciate you taking the time to comment your thoughts and letting me know you enjoyed my video!

[@alisiaraissa3687]

@@WritinRealSlow​​⁠​⁠thank you for taking your time to read and responding to my comment! Expand on fandom flanderization, I need to emphasize that I do not demonize fandoms taking characters and upping their silly bones to 11- I too find it enjoyable to see the beloved goobers get extra goofy (plus its fandom- like it or not this things are bound to happen- in the worst case scenario I can just ignore or block). But sometimes I can’t help that many people in discussions will just straight up Mis-characterize and I have to be like “oh no thats not…Um…Ok they will not do or say that- moving on” for example people Calling Shiro an ableist (he is an asian man and grew up with different cultural norms that when he think of “something that most people would understand” is something clearly very different and other characters has put in to question his own behaviors), People think Namari is an Asshole for leaving the party (shes not- she obviously care she just don’t want to work for free which is understandable because shes a freelancer and in need of money), and Marcile having a mean spirited attitude towards Laios but crazy in love with Falin (while she cares for Falin a little bit more- Its obvious that she cares and love for both siblings and the rest of the party)

[@kekero540]

I love how Laios and Marcille have that classic sibling dynamic. with all their fighting and disagreements. But they still fundamentally trust and feel safe around each other. It’s really funny to see how the party kind of has to deal with both their conflicting proclivities.

[@000Dragon50000]

The series plays with a lot of ships in it's time, but hard confirms none of them and hard rejects only one. (Falin rejects Shuro explicitly), but there is unmistakably intent behind all of the romantic scenes, particularly the scenes between Marcille and one of the Touden siblings. (Both of them, just separately and at different points in the story lol. Wording that clearly is hard lol.) These people are all adults and the attraction and potentially romance is there, but they all just have bigger shit to deal with right now.

[@popburnsy3207]

I half-suspect that Marcille is in love with Fallin, but is trying to avoid admitting it/approaching the topic because she's very aware that she's likely going to live past her human friends' lifespans. I don't believe it's intentionally gay-baiting. It's just that the series runs as much on subtext as it does telling an adventure story that involves eating monsters. It's a very thoughtful series at it's base, so while Marcille may never cross that line directly, it seems apparent that the whole long lived elf(ok, half-elf) thing weighs heavily on her mind.

[@bruh-hr1mt]

This was exactly my thoughts on Falin x Marcille tbh we don't know how Falin feels about her but Marcille definitely seems to be in love with Falin at least in subtext: [manga spoilers] Marcille risking a life of imprisonment for necromancy just to resurrect her, Falin being the first (non-family) person she sees in her dream, her "beef" with Shuro, her being in the same panel as Shuro during the part where Falin rips her shirt off & just the parallels between her and Shuro in general, and her huge hang-up on her longer lifespan (which makes more sense when you think she's in love with a tallman), her first act as dungeon lord being freezing Falin etc.. Maybe the author didn't mean it, but it feels like she kind of meant to frame Marcille as in love with Falin at the very least.

[@yundorphin]

I actually didn't like Kabru at first, but then I realized he reads as on the spectrum, too. Let me explain - it actually has a lot to do with the 'manipulative' label. His fascination with humans and social interactions is very similar to my own special interests in anthropology, sociology, psychology, and linguistics/languages. I developed this interest probably in part to help me fit in and navigate social situations, and it has served me very well, at least as far as appearances go. Then I also remembered... I've been called manipulative before, as well, just for the things I do to get by in social situations and avoid problems. And it made me wonder if that's actually what's going on with Kabru. My opinion of him was softened by this reading, and I was able to see how he actually shows concern and care for the members of his party, and how he braves the dungeon himself (despite not being skilled enough to face its monsters) to take it down. If he was only self-serving, I don't see what would stop him from tricking others to go in and do his dirty work for him. His motivations seem tied to fear of what monsters can do, not just hatred of everything. Also, he does not seem completely unwilling to change his perception of people, even Laios. He acknowledges right away that Laios's party probably didn't rob them, and he (through his social manipulation) actually defended Laios's decision to use black magic to revive Falin when Toshiro got angry. On top of that, all in all, he spent very little time with Laios and his party (they barely had a meal together), so it makes sense he still can't get a perfect read on him. And it's probably made harder by how Laios *isn't* like the people that he's been studying and interacting with (ie allistic society). On top of that, Laios's special interest seems to be the very thing he hates, making it even harder to bridge that gap in understanding. I think I've gone off on a tangent. But I guess my point is, upon closer inspection, Kabru's point of view and misunderstandings seem a little more reasonable. XD I might just be projecting, though.

[@kekero540]

Laios is the type of dude to get “adopted” as a bf and not realize it until a month into the relationship.

[@hoonah1373]

Finale spoiler (kinda) Elf Senshi is the jesus elfs want you to belive existed Dwarf Senshi is the actual Jesus

[@WritinRealSlow]

This is the best comment I've seen so far XD

[@johannesgutenburg9837]

if you read ryoko kui's other work it becomes pretty clear that laios is intentionally autistic coded.

[@aliengirls625]

As someone who is also abysmal with social cues, I love Kabru's character. It's rare to see someone with a similar skin tone to mine get importance in an anime. With regards to ppl shipping him with Laios, no spoilers here but approximately 80% of their fan content is set post-canon. I myself didn't take the ship seriously until I read the post epilogue material, so keep in mind there's still a lot of twists and turns with the character development. Also in a chapter extra they discuss genderbent alternate timelines (Laios' curiosity 😅) and it's implied that female!Kabru is Laios' girlfriend.

[@theflappyjack3917]

I have quite literally never watched a single anime in my life, but I reallly really enjoyed this, as someone who doesn't even know who these characters are, I still wasn't even confused and thought everything you had to say about them was really interesting! Lately I feel like my attention span's been getting worse and worse, but I'm glad I could just sit down and watch this video in one go :)

[@WritinRealSlow]

I'm glad I could make something you enjoyed so much!

[@nnelg8139]

Lots of people online have been talking about how it's a really good anime for people who don't watch anime. It deliberately avoids a lot of the niche stereotypes and conventions which modern fantasy anime almost universally relies upon, so anyone with an interest in adventure and food can sit down and enjoy it.

[@njcheddar]

Very good video and definitely one of the most thorough DunMeshi reviews on yt that I've been searching for! I don't agree with every point since I'm a manga reader but I can see that you actually took your time to analyze and form your opinions as objectively as you can and acknowledge that there's more to the story that the anime adaptation simply hasn't reached yet. As someone who likes Kabru, I really appreciate that you acknowledge that he's a necessary addition to the narrative and don't immediately disregard him. I hope you're not getting attacked for simply not vibing with a character, even if you still don't after seeing his development, that's also okay. I wanna say that Dungeon Meshi is probably my favourite piece of media as of right now. It's not a perfect story, but it really just have everything that I want. I'm glad that DunMeshi is gaining the traction that it deserves. It may not be the number one most popular or most hyped, but I love seeing people loving this series as much as I do.

[@NickChad]

Kabru is weird because I get how unappealing his personality and attitude towards people are but I really liked him when that part of him got revealed. I know he was against Laios but that's because he's focusing on the greater good and humanity as a whole. Kabru knows how people work and says or does what he thinks is best but he never seems to be doing it to hurt other people specifically. The fact his team heard him talk about how easy humans are to kill and just nodded like "Yeah that's him" and commented on him eating monster with "he'll do anything to get someone to like him" proves they know him, even this seemingly psychopathic side that's fake and people pleasing. That's a big deal because without his team's perspective of him you'd assume he was a Dexter like serial killer who never revealed his true thoughts or feelings. With that insight you realize it's just a big part of who he is and he utilizes it as a tool. Yeah, he might over indulge in his passion (reading people/their connections and making them like him) but that just feels like a human thing to me. If he was doing it to be a bully or just being nice to someone's face to talk crap about them later is totally different from what he's doing. I know there's people who talk about his manga development and stuff but just strictly from his anime portrayal I was a big fan of his and really enjoyed his character

[@chottabeamm]

As someone who had read the manga. I can guarantee you the second season gonna be fire. I swear on my dead grandpa's name, the story is great. Keep the hype up, fellow Dungeon Meshi enjoyer!

[@WritinRealSlow]

I absolutely believe you, I can't wait!

[@DerFroschMitMaske]

You killed me playing bitter water with Fallin- my favorite band The oh hello’s in a video on my new special interest!? Hats off man

[@WritinRealSlow]

It just felt like the right song for her.

[@joliaspid537]

I think it is important to say that the scene where Laios wants to see Izutsumi's biology is not in the manga, but then again he is still blinded ,so take it as you want. He just doesn't go rabid.

[@maciedrennan8795]

i think another great thing about it is the english voice actor who plays laios is actually autistic and talks about it frequently and his struggles and how they relate to laios. just makes me happy to see representation

[@WritinRealSlow]

yeah, his VA is really cool!

[@L33TNINJ4Grrl]

"Something about here that they've seen that we just haven't yet.-" "WOAH HEY!" 😂

[@sonbotodst]

I absolutely love this video, I've had some great laughs and the titles per chapter was freaking perfect! Cheers mate

[@nightlight6783]

8-bit Good Kid is something I didn’t know I needed as background music. Absolutely splendid

[@pheeble29]

great video essay!! hahaha I personally find kabru a lot of fun and enjoy him as a character, and that's why I also really enjoy labru- its a very silly ship and ppl tend to view it as one sided enemies to lovers, stemming from how laois thinks "wow this guy is so cool!" whilst kabru has an obsession with laois and simultaneously is all "aaaa this guy is the worst!!!!" lol

[@payton5184]

I really like your connections with the different classifications of love (something I didn’t know about but I’m very intrigued by), it’s a way of viewing this story that I hadn’t really thought about. I finished the manga recently and i think an interesting way to look at the story is that, fundamentally, Dungeon Meshi is about eating, or rather the concept is used allegorically a lot. Why we eat, the purpose behind it, why it’s so important. I think you’re really going to love season 2, especially since, assuming Trigger gives it 24 episodes again, it’ll cover the rest of the manga

[@fortello7219]

I so deeply love that Laios & Falin are like, basically the same person. It's such a reasonable take, and yet feels so subversive.

[@NoMustang273]

I love your song choices for thse segway into each character.

[@WritinRealSlow]

I'm glad you liked them ^_^

[@phangkuanhoong7967]

Thanks for this. I really love this show, and fantasy isn't even my usual genre.

[@WritinRealSlow]

I've been seeing that sentiment around a lot lately. I wonder what it is about dunmeshi that has that effect

[@horo_horo_horo]

The Kabru roast was so funny man... Great video!

[@WritinRealSlow]

Thank you! ^_^

[@teatime_1688]

this an excellent video! i love seeing people analyse dunmeshi because theres just so much there to dig into and its a series where eye think you really have to infer things about the characters because theres not a whole lot that's told straight up to the audience. i really asks you to think about its characters and their motivations so there are loads of different interpretations people can take away from it. also the music you chose for each characters section was AMAZING 10/10 zero notes

[@WritinRealSlow]

I'm glad you liked it!

[@happygodaisyy]

i'm autistic too. when you talked people not telling their problems with you and exploding that hit me. also, good analysis!

[@SgtSushi-YEHW]

Phenomenal essay but HOLY BASED GOOD KID SOUNDTRACK

[@nnelg8139]

As for "gay baiting"... I think that the world needs to have more works where two characters can share an intimate moment without it being sexualized or the story making a big deal about their relationship, instead leaving it open to interpretation. Not just for gay ships, but straight ones as well. If such scenes get people riled up... That's a sign that the story did something right, since it's so deeply resonating with people. The author publically "picking a side" now would probably just kick up tons of hard feelings for everyone but the specific group that favored the canon outcome. So anyone hungry for more is free to enjoy the loads and loads of fanart and doujins that exist for every major ship in the series, instead!

[@ErinSmith-jo8td]

I suspected the autism too, and it makes me love him even more. My oldest son is autistic, and he’s done much to grow, but it’s noticeable. I love his pure heart and how caring he is. I love this show and all the forms of love it shows.

[@spaceman7019]

45:43 this is how I understand this scene in this scene I know that Laois in the moment sees Izutsumi as more monster than person, and as such, Is a novelty that must be analysed and understood, his passion for monsters clouding his judgment of what is harmful to her more than anything. and I feel like this might play an important part for Laois narratively as a starting point for him to get better from. or at least I hope. It would be an understatement to say that if Laios and Izutsumi don't get more character development together or apart, it would kinda suck.

[@debiesubaugher]

I'm glad i discovered your channel. I'm especially glad it was for this video.

[@WritinRealSlow]

Glad to have you here ^_^

[@WhiteCresentKnight]

I’m honestly suprised no one has pointed out that Kabru is very likely also neurodivergent, but in a different part of the spectrum

[@WritinRealSlow]

I've seen people talk about it before, but I don't really see it.

[@Theresa-uj4le]

amazing analysis!! I really appreciate that your feelings match closely to my own while reading the manga. You really put words to things in a way that really opened my eyes to the inner working of this amazing story!

[@WritinRealSlow]

I'm so happy I could help you enjoy it even more!

[@CaptainLightner]

i was internally screaming at senshi with the kelpie it was so hard cause im scottish so ive read the stories about it. LIKE DUUUUDE DONT TRUST IT YOU CANT TOUCH IT YOURE GONNA GET DROWNED. thank god laios was reasonable shhdjfgj

[@yundorphin]

Having seen Kui Ryoko dedicate a short story to a character struggling with communication in a very autistic way (even the analogy felt like it so accurately captured what it feels like), I just have to believe Laios's autism-coding is intentional.

[@Rose-Icosahedron]

I wanted to share my take on the criticism of Laios presented in this video. I want to say that I agree with the idea that Laios does need to learn to be better, and also that the show has yet to really address it, however I do think there is a narrative reason for him as of yet not recognizing or have been told this. Between Laios being told by the dungeon residents that he is prophecized to take control of the dungeon from the dungeon lord and Kabru's analysis of the Touden siblings (which as mentioned his logic is flawed in, but some of his analysis of Laios's personality not based on specific facts does seem somewhat accurate) the show is creating conflict in whether or not Laios would make the right decision. As you mentioned, Laios's driving motivations are love of his sister, his friends, and monsters. None of these motivations require him to make the right choice of prioritizing people over monsters when/if he gets control, but his interest in monsters does make it plausible that he would make the wrong decision (as Kabru suspects). I think there is an intentional narrative tension over whether or not Laios would make decisions catering to the general good of people, and by showing him actively working to better his relations with other people at this time the tension would be lessened: If he's trying to make himself better for people, it would logically follow that he would make the world better for other people. I do think he should be being called out a bit more than he is, and that could be done better, but the fact he has yet to try to learn I think is an intentional part of the narrative tension. And since I think it is intentional, I do think it will be addressed. I do want to say that I loved your video and your analysis of the characters. I haven't spent much time analyzing the story as it is and I hadn't even noticed the focus on love at this point, and I think you made a lot of good and compelling analysis of the show. I'm only arguing with one of your points because I think I have a different perspective, and I don't think you are wrong or that the problems you addressed aren't there, I just wanted to add my thoughts since I didn't think it was a complete look at that particular issue. I look forward to see your thoughts on the show as it goes on!

[@blanksymortimer4088]

theres an episode by episode animation breakdown from Swamp jawn that i can't recommend highly enough. great watch especially if you are bad at noticing the small details that get snuck in every episode :)

[@WritinRealSlow]

thanks for the recommendation

[@yaboi3955]

I will say watching Dungeon Meshi's German dub is the best choice ive ever made. I find the voices match their personalities more to how i imagined them in the manga. It's perfect

[@WritinRealSlow]

I haven't watched the german dub, but I HAVE seen the meme of only marcille being dubbed in german, and that was pretty funny.

[@yaboi3955]

@WritinRealSlow that meme is what got us to watch in German but it's basically perfect. I agree with all the voices which is cool for a change

[@WritinRealSlow]

@@yaboi3955 cool

[@noobshot9470]

"There's no curse more twisted than love"

[@WritinRealSlow]

what's that from?

[@noobshot9470]

@@WritinRealSlow jjk

[@WritinRealSlow]

@@noobshot9470 ah right, thanks.

[@KnucklesxReala911]

oh boy i really don't think you will really end up liking kabru by the end of the story, we keep learning about him but is not so much as development tbh, but i love the guy, is interesting seeing a backstabber scheming character that is one of the good guys whole heartly

[@WritinRealSlow]

I mean, I like him as a character and his narrative role just fine, I just couldn't be friends with him IRL.

[@Yeliza1veta]

37:25 I’ve read the whole manga and yes, I didn’t ship them until like the 80th chapter (not animated yet) because their friendship development was so scrumptious. But also the development in the party made creeps that ship Chilchuck and laios have more reasons… ugh 😿

[@Boydar]

It's such a lovely, yet serious show

[@edwardhisse2687]

Not me realising "Loser baby" fitting Kabru for completely different reasons than why op chose it - for just hating his manipulative murderous ass😭😂 My poor blorbo lmao

[@WritinRealSlow]

hey, it fits either way

[@TheUmbralWolf]

When i saw the bath scene my brain immediately thought, "yeeaahh they definitely gay" No way that scene wasn't gay bait XD

[@nnelg8139]

Thinking about it... You're right, and I can't wait for Season 2 to happen and complete, because I realized there are more themes of love yet to come. Also, fyi the Liver is primarily a storage for vitamins and minerals, which is why it's such a healthy food. But it can accumulate certain toxins (I think heavy metals like lead and mercury) if the animal lived in a polluted environment, so it isn't entirely irrational to be hesitant.

[@Chaztelchannel]

Oh sweet a Dungeon Meshi video! This will be fu- IS THAT GOOD KID IN THE BACKGROUND?!

[@WritinRealSlow]

Why yes, yes it is. Everyone always seems so surprised by that.

[@sizzleissues]

I say the tonal shifts are better in the manga where the in episode sudden swings mostly is a new chapter, resetting the reader tonely. Other people have mentioned the tonal whiplash is a purposeful and that is true but for the most part its better facilitated by the chapter divide

[@kekero540]

Actually I think Falin is a more apt description of Agape. She is capable of incredible empathy and understanding which is why she’s so good at warding spirits and doesn’t want to hurt them. Senshi isn’t as close to agape but he does feel a responsibility for these people. Much more parental than Agape.

[@cbender128]

I don't think people should use autism as an excuse to be an ass, but I also think society could throw us a bone or 2 so my life could be a little less exhausting.

[@WritinRealSlow]

trust me, I'm right there with you.

[@Draconis_Eltanin]

Great video and very much on point. While I may disagree with the tonal issue I think it is largely relegated to personal preference (and having Dorohedoro tied with it as my 2nd favourite manga shows how I am quite used to the whiplash), the other are fairly solid.

[@WritinRealSlow]

Like I said, the tone of the show doesn't bother me, but it's still something that would bother a decent number of people less used to it.

[@MagicalMaster]

Uh... I know you're probably not asking for this. But if you want to cut the over the top flavour of liver, soak it in milk for an hour, then ditch the milk. Then it tastes much more like steak and only has a slightly off, but not bad, texture.

[@WritinRealSlow]

That's really cool, I didn't know that

[@willgegg8601]

I DO have a problem with you not touching the manga at all, I HIGHLY recommend reading it after the anime is finished. It's very good and has a bunch of extras that you'll enjoy.

[@Bonfirestars]

I really enjoyed your takes on the characters and your criticisms.

[@WritinRealSlow]

thanks!

[@GA-eh4nl]

I'm sure Laios will learn and improve later on in the show, the first season has so much pressure to introduce the world and the characters while staying entertaining and avoiding expo dumps, that they probably didn't have time to include everything in the anime. That probably is also a reason for the emotional inconsistency. I believe that they will smooth out some of the imperfections in the later seasons:)

[@WritinRealSlow]

I would assume so

[@EdgarCastillo-c6j]

I resonate deeply with Laios, Falin, Senshi and Kabru. I love to learn as much as I can about things that I find fascinating to the point of obssession, I'm not really interested in the things I am suppossed to be interested in, although I can be nice to people I also use it as a form of manipulation at times and although I have yet to be tested by an actual doctor, I did score within the you maybe autistic range in two short tests that my sister sent me because for the longest time she had a hunch that I had something going on.

[@FluffyFailure0]

As someone who is autistic, I would like to be appreciated for who I am, not someone I am pretending to be. I know I have tried to learn social cues, but although I have learned to spot certain flags, I still cannot keep up with others despite my efforts. Everyone is different and everyone changes, and I just can't keep up to date with everything and everyone. So instead of always being five steps behind in every conversation, why aren't we just allowed to be autistic in peace?... We could be so much more productive, if people could just stop being vague about things they don't even mean and give clear instructions instead.

[@lukehoffman7199]

I really loved your points and I can't wait for s2 so everything you think may happen or occur shows itself and watch what you think, while not perfect i think s2 would give a nice development and closure to a lot of things you bought up! And since this season did more than half the manga it'd be nice if we didn’t loose as much dialogue adaption to maybe understand motives better for the s2 Nice work!

[@WritinRealSlow]

Thank you, and I have very high hopes for season 2!

[@jessaminggg]

i LOVE that you also love marcille bec she's my favorite character too! i love all of them ofc but your reason for loving marcille bec of her adoration for falin being her main motivation is also why i looove her so much. and another thing, i love that you ship her with falin as well, bec oh so do iiiii. so as a lesbian and having seen A LOT of yuri anime, i rly don't think that bath scene was queerbait, i agree w/ what you said abt it! it was rly like the most earnest and intimate scene between two people who clearly love each other, romantic or not. tho in my mind, marcille and falin are in love with each other whether they explicitly get together or not but in any case their relationship is definitely one of the best i've ever seen in all the anime ive seen so far anyways, love this video! great commentary of the characters and story!

[@Bonsees]

Love your take on this show! I agree with many points (also noticed the part where the show seems to revel upon Marcille’s abuse). Great vid 🙏🏼

[@lunerblade13]

2:43 to be fair the living paintings episode introduced us to the mad mage and the ancient history of the golden country.

[@eleanorspey5671]

16:51 I personally interpret marcinnes stress over monsters as an autistic experience. Coming from a person who doesn’t like very popular food such as bread for no “good” reason her struggles are extremely relatable. I don’t think it’s that big of a stretch for her struggle with monster food when it’s necessary in this environment, being compared to having food issues

[@WritinRealSlow]

that's a valid interpretation

[@bingsus3144]

AMAZING VIDEO! Dungeon meshi is such a great show and seeing someone so earnestly talk about it is seriously so nice. You did a great job on it! Also love how you tie it back to the different forms of love, made it incredibly coherent! If you like stories about love, you might wanna check out mob Psycho 100!!! I don't wanna spoiler anything since it's more fun going into stuff blind I believe, but mp100 is basically all about love, learning to love and to be loved! I don't know if you've seen it yet but I can wholeheartedly recommend it!

[@WritinRealSlow]

I really like mob psycho! I still have to watch the final season though, I just haven't gotten around to it, for some reason. Thanks for reminding me! ^_^

[@JaylalaBear]

im a little late, but the background music was such a vibe. I love good kid and discovered them sometime before covid as youtube just recommended me music semi-adjacent to anime music.

[@LinhHuynh-sh5pv]

Hell yea Farcille supporter

[@WritinRealSlow]

hell yea!

[@halo5296]

I really love marcille and laios together. I can’t wait for y’all to see their relationship development in s2

[@WritinRealSlow]

I've heard good things

[@ClowninnAround]

I love that you fell into the trap ryoko kui set when writing kabru, which is that he’s nothing more than an antagonist to the touden party, so excited for you to see season 2! It’s batshit man

[@ChristmasCarolyn]

16:26 Marcille's logic on the reluctance of eating monster meat actually reminds me of how we ended up with COVID-19 and even SARS at one time. She's technically not wrong....god forbid if the dungeon cuisine spread an epidemic on the island they're in (shudder).

[@CleoJames-jo5gc]

I really liked this video!!! i loved the takes on liaos and marcille but i do think the video would have ended more satisfyingly if the criticisms happened earlier and we had the whole talk about love right before the conclusion talking about love which hadnt been mentioned for 10 minutes. Very good no other complaints :)

[@WritinRealSlow]

thanks, I'll keep that in mind for my future videos!

[@zacharynguyen7286]

Incredible video, please continue to make ❤

[@Yog-shi]

Great video, you really elaborate on the themes well as you see it, up to what the anime covers. I'm subscribing in the hopes that you may do a follow up vid in like a year or whenever s2 comes out and is complete, I respect your choice to cherish the watchalong with your friend, as someone who read the manga after episode three or four aired. However if this is the typical quality of your analyses, I'll be happy to stay subscribed even if you never make a video on Dungeon Meshi again.

[@WritinRealSlow]

oh trust me, I definitely will be. I was a little worried that netflix would decide to axe it, since they've done that with plenty of beloved shows in the past, but with season 2 confirmed I'm absolutely ecstatic for the rest of the story! ^_^

[@vini2308]

I loved all of your takes and I'd love to see your thoughts on the manga if you ever read them! Amazing video. I did want to add my 2 cents to the pacing and urgency and tone problem, because i think it's deliberate. In a space where death has no meaning, being easily reversible and truly never permanent in the eyes of the characters, it creates a very interesting relationship with risk taking and sacrifices. I think a lot of cruelty arrives from it (like the cruelty done by the corpse revivers and the events that led to the Half Foot union) and distorted perception of stakes. I think the show lends itself to discuss how much life is shaped by the desires and appetite of living, and how much the immortality and twisting of the natural life and death cycles twists how people behave in turn. I think I can see how people could think it's beyond these characters to have such a leisurely pacing through the dungeon towards the Dragon, and i think that's a valid criticism. I just wanted to offer my 2 cents on how it made sense to me while i was reading it, specially after The Golden Country. Again, amazing video, and i can't wait to see more of ur stuff!

[@WritinRealSlow]

I'm glad you liked it! I'm actually going to be releasing a review of Kaiju No. 8 later this month and I've got a review of sousou no Frieren if you're interested! While I do actually agree that the pacing was largely intentional (and I honestly really love the worldbuilding of the near-deathless space of the dungeon), intent and execution are two separate things, and the execution is what tends to get to people. Like I said, the pacing doesn't bother me, but it's something that some people really care about, so I brought it up to acknowledge where some people might struggle to enjoy the show.

[@vini2308]

@@WritinRealSlow Oh thanks! I'll definitely check out the Frieren video! I actually got to know the channel through the videos about my beloved Boyfriend Dungeon (great job on uncovering that hidden gem, it's been so nice to see people connect with it as much as I did). I see your point about intent and execution! I can definitely see that. Thanks for clarifying, have a great day ^-^

[@WritinRealSlow]

@@vini2308 ah yes, boyfriend dungeon my beloved :3