It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Senshi in a griffin’s talons! Delicious in Dungeon episode 22, “Griffin/Familiars” sets Laios and his party back on track to find Falin. However, things don’t go as smoothly as they hope. Additionally, audiences get multiple lore drops within the episode that guides both the party and fans deeper into the dungeon.
Thistle, the Lunatic Magician
At long last, the Lunatic Magician’s real identity is revealed. Yaad explains that Thistle is an elf who grew up side by side with King Delgal. Originally, he was a court jester, but when Delgal became the king he encouraged Thistle to learn magic. Unfortunately, this is what led to Thistle’s obsession with immortality and protecting Delgal, setting him on the path to become the Lunatic Magician. It’s a sad journey and one that people shouldn’t dismiss so easily when it comes to Thistle.
Even with Thistle’s backstory explained, there are still a lot of questions that need answering. How does he know black magic? Why is the Winged Lion at the bottom of the dungeon? What’s his endgame? Yaad doesn’t reveal the answers to any of these questions, but it makes the episode better for it. By not overloading the Thistle reveals, watchers can think about what they do know and come up with even more questions. It’s a genius thing that Ryoko Kui did with the manga and I’m glad that Studio TRIGGER followed suit.
Marcille’s struggles for the benefit of the party
Marcille is the standout character in this episode. While we’ve seen how powerful she is in both “Raspberries/ Grilled Meat” and “Red Dragon II,” “Griffin/Familiars” shows her magical limitations. Creating familiars isn’t easy and she struggles with the overlay of the familiar’s vision over her own but this doesn’t stop her from committing to finding Senshi after the Griffin grabs him.
While her familiars look a little goofy no matter which way you slice it, she tries her best to improve them as they struggle against the griffin. Despite Laios’ attempt to make the last familiar look like a dragon, Marcille uses what they’ve learned to craft it into a speed demon of a creature with several wings. Through this familiar, they’re able to rescue Senshi in one piece.
Of course, these familiars aren’t magic alone. Marcille uses meat and vegetables the citizens of The Golden Kingdom gift them to give it sustenance. Because of this, the familiars are the perfect thing for the party to eat after their rescue mission. Sky fish and chips is a meal worthy of eating after such an intense battle with a griffin. With that being said, I have to side with Marcille on the fact that Laois didn’t give her any time to grieve before cutting it up.
More eyes on Senshi
Chilchuck’s concern about Senshi is really interesting to me. Laois’ party makes it clear early on that while they’re friends, they don’t know all that much about one another. This question comes up only when Izutsumi realizes – which makes her reaction to the information that much better. But we know Chilchuck is a very no-nonsense union man who’s here to do his job. So to see him worrying over Senshi and what could be causing such a huge change in his demeanor shows a lot of growth. even for the half-foot.
Senshi is the second newest member of the party, so it’s natural that we wouldn’t get his backstory before the others. But it’s been clear from the get-go that Senshi is hiding his past for specific reasons. Even from his reaction to the griffin, we can tell that his past is extremely triggering for him and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
On the other hand, his willingness to talk to the party about his past shows just how much he trusts them. Don’t forget, the party has only been traveling together for a few weeks. If Senshi trusts them enough to talk about something he hasn’t spoken about for years to anyone else, it’s a massive part of his character development.
“Griffin/Familiars” reminds us why Delicious in Dungeon is so special: the characters and how deeply they care for one another. Additionally, it showcases the amount of growth the main party has done since the beginning of their adventure. “Griffin/Familiars” does a lot of heavy worldbuilding, but it’s not overwhelming and, if I’m being honest, got quite a few laughs from me.
Delicious in Dungeon is available now on Netflix.
Featured images: © Ryoko Kui / KADOKAWA / “Delicious in Dungeon” PARTNERS, Netflix
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‘Delicious in Dungeon’ - “Griffin/Familiars” - 9/10
9/10
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