It’s time to celebrate with a toast in Delicious in Dungeon episode 16! “Cleaners/Dried with Sweet Sake” finally brings all three parties together. At long last, we learn more about Shuro, the mystery man Kabru met in “Sea Serpent.” We also get a different cooking scene than normal with a new character taking charge instead of Senshi. Dare I say, it’s all coming up Laios this episode?
From the start of Delicious in Dungeon, it’s clear that food is a major plot point. Had it not been for their lack of food, Laios’ party would have been able to fight the red dragon and Falin would not have been eaten. Even in “Dryad/Cockatrice,” Senshi worries about not being able to feed the party enough food on their travels. Understandably, these moments might slow the pacing for some watchers, but let’s not forget the importance of them. Additionally, the level of detail that TRIGGER goes into for each of these scenes needs to be recognized. They’re putting in an obscene amount of effort that rivals Studio Ghibli and it works in their favor. Not only are these scenes crucial to the plot, but they’re aesthetically beautiful as well.
The cooking scenes in “Cleaners/Dried with Sweet Sake” are eye-catching. The first is the typical Senshi whipping it up in the dungeon and using the dungeon cleaner bricks for their meal. But the second cooking scene involves all three parties working together to make a meal. Senshi steps back and fills the sous chef role for Maizuru as she directs everyone on what to do. Their dynamic is fun to watch as the episode develops. The way that Senshi listens to her directions really shows how interested he is in learning about her take on food. Through this we learn what emotions she herself puts into the meals that she creates.
One thing I want to bring up with “Cleaners/Dried with Sweet Sake” is the focus on the relationship between Shuro and Laios. Until now, all we know about Shuro is that he left the party, but has come back to rescue Falin. It’s pretty clear that Laios views his friendship with Shuro much differently than Shuro does which can lead to hijinx later on. For now, we see Shuro accept Laios’ help begrudgingly only because he wants to know about Falin — who, as Maizuru reveals to Senshi, Shuro has fallen in love with. Shuro simply wants to know what happened to her while Laios clearly thinks he’s reconnecting with a friend. Because of this, there are layers to their dynamic, which can lead the two of them down very slippery roads, as we see at the end of the episode.
Kabru is the superstar in this episode. He doesn’t exactly take the spotlight, but he’s present in major scenes. After seeing his true intentions come to light, it’s easy to pick up on them in “Cleaners/Dried with Sweet Sake.” The way he looks at Laios is less friendly and more intriguing. It’s similar to how I expect scientists would look at subjects before working on them. His desire to learn about Laios turns into almost an obsession with how he wants to tag along and the way things play out. It’s not quite antagonistic, but it’s close enough that audiences should keep their eyes on him.
“Cleaners/Dried with Sweet Sake” is a nice reminder that at the core of Delicious in Dungeon is food. Without this connecting all of these characters, there wouldn’t be a series to watch at all. We also get to experience a new perspective on Laios from someone who left the party and might not exactly like him. It’s another episode where the worldbuilding is subtle, but sets up future episodes in such a seamless manner. The building blocks are there even if some audience members don’t catch them just yet.
Delicious in Dungeon is available now on Netflix.
Featured images: © Ryoko Kui / KADOKAWA / “Delicious in Dungeon” PARTNERS, Netflix
REVIEW RATING
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Delicious In Dungeon Episode 16 - 8/10
8/10
