‘Delicious in Dungeon’ review – “Hag/Nightmare”

The cat girl is officially here, Delicious in Dungeon fans! “Hag/Nightmare” brings the focus back to Laios’ party with one special addition: Izutsumi. At long last, the best girl shows up and “Hag/Nightmare” focuses on her and her wants. Additionally, the magic system within the world of Delicious in Dungeon is elaborated on in a way that doesn’t bog down the episode with information. And, of course, Senshi was the main character in the best way possible. 

I have to start with the cat in the room and talk about Izutsumi—the token cat girl of the series. Originally one of Shuro’s retainers, she disappeared after the run-in with Falin only to show up at the end of “Shapeshifter”. Her demands are simple: if Marcille gets rid of the two curses on her, she won’t harm them. Pretty quickly, it becomes clear that while Marcille knows ancient magic, she can’t do much. The spell on Izutsumi’s neck is in a different language than Marcille knows, but thankfully she’s still  able to remove that. Unfortunately, when it comes to the curse that Izutsumi wants to remove most, it’s not that simple. 

I’ve mentioned the magic system in Delicious in Dungeon before, but “Hag/Nightmare” helps flesh the system out. This explains a whole new race of people who can only turn into their race via ancient magic, as well.  Beast-men are artificially created via the use of ancient or black magic by merging two souls into one body. Marcille explains it as two eggs inhabiting one shell — an apt analogy for an anime all about cooking. Additionally, the fusing of Izutsumi’s soul makes it impossible for Marcille to do anything more than remove one of the curses on her. 

Here is where I mention that beast-men are a natural analogy for the transgender community. Regardless of whether or not other people agree, I think Delicious in Dungeon treats beast-men very delicately and with respect. Izutsumi is not the only beast-man we meet throughout the story, but their stories share similar aspects. Stuck in bodies not of their choosing and ones they don’t identify with, they wish to change. When it’s put as simply as that, the comparison is pretty clear. 

The cooking scene in “Hag/Nightmare” really caught my eye after the last few have been a bit chaotic. It’s been a minute since Senshi had to really think about what to cook and to watch him go through the motions of creating a meal. It was a return to the beginning that was nice to see. Senshi is, at the best of times, someone who cares about the people surrounding him and shows that care through the meals that he cooks for them.

This is the first time watchers see someone unhappy with the meal that Senshi prepares for them. The entire party is rightfully in shock as Izutsumi scoops out mushrooms and dumps them on the dungeon floor — especially after she demands that no monsters be used in her meal. This change in how different characters pereive and treat food shifts the tone of the episode. Serious Senshi comes out to teach Izutsumi how to properly hold a spoon and not waste food. 

Also, let’s all have a moment of appreciation for another Senshi panty shot, this time with the frog socks.

Something that Ryoko Kui has done repeatedly in Delicious in Dungeon is spin our assumptions about monsters on their head. Similar to “Living Armor” and “Dryad/Cockatrice” the monster design isn’t what we expect. Nightmares are essentially mussels—or your bivalve of choice—that sneak into pillowcases and feed off of the intense emotions that victims feel while dreaming. This is the first time I’ve encountered nightmares as a physical enemy and not just a mental one.

“Hag/Nightmare” is a lore-heavy episode that was much needed for the overall worldbuilding in Delicious in Dungeon. Watchers finally have a deeper understanding of the magic system in place within the world. Additionally, Laios’ party is officially complete with Izutsumi’s official introduction! The resident cat girl is here to shine and eat monsters; even if she doesn’t like them.

Delicious in Dungeon is available now on Netflix.

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