‘Delicious in Dungeon’ finale review: Closing the season with ominous hints

Oh, to be a fly on the wall of this dungeon. At long last, we’re at the Delicious in Dungeon finale, “Dumplings -2-/Bacon and Egg.” Watchers and Laois’ party have come a long way since the first level of the dungeon — let’s not forget Laois getting sick from trying to eat the scorpion. Now the main party travels deeper into the dungeon. Their future is shrouded in shadows, but their attitude shines brighter than ever.

Tricky changelings

“Dumplings -2-/Bacon and Egg” picks up immediately after “Griffin Soup/Dumplings.”. With each member of the party currently of a different race, the learning curve of figuring out combat is steep at best. It only gets worse when gargoyles attack and they have to figure out a way to fight without tiring out again. It’s apt that the tides turn in their favor as Chilchuck is chiding Marcille for not staying out of the way now that she’s the size of a halfling.

As the two of them are trying their best to survive, they happen to hold hands and Kensuke flies through the circle their arms make. Thankfully, this sets off a light bulb in their brains: they’re covered in changeling spores! This means they can make an artificial changeling circle with their hands. Using this trick, the party is able to defeat the gargoyles and finally wash off the spores.

Before I continue, I want to talk about Kensuke. Throughout the season, the sword shows up at key moments to lend a hand. Due to this, Laois trusts it to help them on their journey. But when passing through the artificial changeling circle, a sense of unease manifests with the sword. Could this drastic change foreshadow what is to come in the next season or is it something that Laios should brush off? We’ll have to wait and find out. 

You can’t dungeon crawl without breaking a few eggs

It wouldn’t be an egg dish episode without circling back around to the egg analogy! This time Senshi compares Falin’s soul to that of a sunny side egg on top of bacon — easy to separate the two things if necessary. On the flip side, Iztusimi’s soul is an omelet. With effort, one could pick out the pieces, but there’s a high possibility of the egg getting ruined in the process. This makes the trolley ride a bit more somber, but it’s clear that the party hasn’t lost hope with either of them. 

Overall, Studio Trigger did an amazing job with the first season. The studio let different animators shine throughout, and the season was better for doing so. I mentioned this in “Living Armor,” but allowing different animators to use their distinct styles to certain episodes adds to the quirkiness of the world. The typical Trigger stylization is obvious in scenes where the characters are running toward the camera or when their expressions turn over the top. These little details make the anime stand out in a really special way from start to finish. 

Ending on a high note

Season finales can be hard, but “Dumplings -2-/Bacon and Egg” nails it. The structure of the episode flows in a way that makes sense, seamlessly bridging the two halves. With the focus on the party changing back frontloading, the second half and scene that takes place in the trolley get their own time to breathe. That is exactly what the episode needed to finish on a slightly lighter, reenergized note. The second season of Delicious in Dungeon will be heavier in more ways than one. Not only will the plot become even more lore-heavy, but the overall atmosphere of the anime will turn in that direction. 

Put simply, the anime is an amazing adaption of Delicious in Dungeon.  Because it puts the source material first, staying accurate to what makes the manga so special. Studio Trigger is the only studio that could bring Ryoko Kui’s magical world to life without stepping on what makes the world so unique.

The end, for now…

“Dumplings -2-/Bacon and Egg” is the perfect finale for Delicious in Dungeon. After watching Laois’s party cook through each level of the dungeon, the first season comes to a close. The trials the party go through in order to get Falin back are nothing short of valiant, pushing them to the edges of their abilities at each turn. 

While I understand that some people might think that it’s not the best ending, for manga readers it’s the best possible spot to end things. The next half of the adventure is an adventure best served in two courses. I, for one, can’t wait to eat it up when season two drops. 

Delicious in Dungeon is available now on Netflix.

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Featured images: © Ryoko Kui / KADOKAWA / “Delicious in Dungeon” PARTNERS, Netflix