Excuse me for harp-ing on about Delicious in Dungeon, but episode 17 “Harpy/Chimera” knocks it out of the park. Chimera Falin makes her official entrance and did any of you see that coming? “Harpy/Chimera” makes it clear that the Laios party’s adventure is going so terribly wrong that they might not make it out of the dungeon alive — which is saying a lot since people can revive in there.
First things first, I have to talk about the soundtrack for this episode. Whoever chose the music for the fight scene deserves an award because it is perfect. The difference from even episode 16 to episode 17 lets the audience know that things are about to get a whole lot darker than they have been so far. The track used during Falin’s rampage is so haunting and creepy that it makes you wonder if this is the Falin we’ve been missing the whole time. It reminded me heavily of the Elden Ring OST in the best way possible. Where is Let Me Solo Her when you need them?
The reactions to Marcille throughout the episode was a nice thing to see. People being averse to Marcille’s use of dark magic is nothing new. Chilchuck makes it clear in “Dryad/Cockatrice” and Shuro reacts similarly in “Cleaners/Dried with Sweet Sake”. Here, the audience really gets to see how taboo dark magic is. Every time she offers help, she’s instantly denied because they think Marcille will use it again. They essentially treat her like a leper, telling her not to help because she might cast a weird spell while reviving the dead party members. It’s sad, to say the least, because all she wants is to help. Not only that, it’s clear that Marcille knows that what she did isn’t exactly the norm but she’s certain that her decision to use it was what was best for them.
Delicious In Dungeon’s magic system isn’t clear just yet, but we know enough to realize that it’s complex. Clearly what Marcille did is grounds for arrest in this world. But Shuro mentions something that audiences might have missed the first time it was mentioned: the elves from the West. Mr. Tansu mentions them in episode 10 “Giant Frogs/Aboveground” when talking to the Lord of the Island in regard to them wanting the island back from him. On the other hand, Shuro implies that the elves of the West also detain those who dabble in dark magic.
For eagle-eyed watchers, this lays the groundwork for certain characters in the opening to appear very soon.
There is one thing in ‘Harpy/Chimera” that bothers me: the way TRIGGER presents Falin. In the anime, the human part of her body is drawn a lot thinner than in the manga. When comparing the scene, it’s obvious that TRIGGER gave her a much smaller waist than Ryoko Kui. The thing is, Falin is already pretty thin. She might not be as skinny as some of the other characters, but she’s still tall and skinny. It’s a subtle thing that most watchers wouldn’t clock unless they’ve read the manga.
Additionally, the boob bounce scene was a bit much for me. For anime-only fans, the manga panels only show Falin landing and then a close-up of her face. There’s no focus on Falin’s boobs at all nor is there any sexualization of Falin’s new body in the scene. So, what was the reason for making those boobs bounce? Now, I know the boob jiggle is a TRIGGER staple — and trust me I’m all for it when appropriate. But, was the animator drawing with one hand? Maybe I’m reaching but it seemed like an odd choice to add a male gaze shot in an otherwise extremely serious scene.
Overall, “Harpy/Chimera” is a near-perfect episode of Delicious in Dungeon. This was an episode I had been looking forward to from the beginning of the series and was not disappointed. The tonal shift from happy-go-lucky dungeon adventure to extremely dark and serious works seamlessly. What’s more, “Harpy/Chimera” makes the setup for the next arc to come all the more intriguing.
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’ — “Harpy/Chimera” - 9.5/10
9.5/10
