‘Delicious in Dungeon’ review: Laios shows off in “Living Armor”

Tie up your aprons for this week’s episode of Delicious in Dungeon, “Living Armor!” This is an episode I’ve been on the edge of my seat for because the living armor is one of my favorite monsters in the entire series. Additionally, we get to see just how knowledgeable Laios is about these monsters along with their shared history. It’s a beautifully animated episode that explores Laios through the very thing he loves the most: monsters. 

First things first, I have to talk about Ryoko Kui’s monster creation. The idea of living armor isn’t exactly new, but to take that concept and spin it into a mollusk-like monster is. So far, we’ve met familiar fantasy monster designs and they have had a little twist to what we’re used to. Not only that, the way Ryoko Kui designs them specifically for the dungeon with bright colors makes them look, in Laios’ own words, delicious. These monsters are just as important as the main adventuring party, which makes a huge difference to me. It makes me want to learn more about them even if I’m not planning to use them in my next meal. 

The focus of “Living Armor” was none other than the freak himself, Laios. Laios is an intelligent character — fight me if you disagree — who uses his obsessive knowledge about monsters to get results. The concept of dying but coming back to life is something that was introduced in episode one, but “Living Armor” tells us all about Laios’ first death due to the living armor. In the flashback, he and Falin work for gold strippers and very obviously look less joyful; more like they’re here to do a job than actually exploring the dungeon. Unfortunately, when he’s not paying attention one of the living armors stabs him. On the flip side, this experience helps him learn how they move as well as figure out a plan to get past the living armor that is blocking them from entering the door at the end of the hall. He’s a freak, but he’s a smart freak who knows what he’s doing. 

An intriguing development at the end of “Living Armor” includes Laios and his sword. We know that he hid the last living armor mollusk that was in his new sword from the rest of the party. So, the big question is whether or not Laios’ new pet will help or harm the party later down the line. This is a potential plotline that can drive the party in a direction they least expect and it’s something that audiences should keep in mind for the rest of the series. 

I mentioned in my review of “Roast Basilisk/Omelet/Kakiage” that the animation is great and this episode was no different. The storyboard artists for “Living Armor” were none other than Ichigo Kanno and his team, a choice that I’ll forever be grateful for. To put it simply, Kanno and his team cooked when it came to “Living Armor.” The choreography and character movement throughout the episode is gorgeous to say the least. Add the coloring of the episode to the mix, and Kanno’s team created something charming. The work they put into Laios’ flashback when he realizes that the living armor is protecting an egg sack is absolutely insane. It’s only a couple of panels long in the manga, but the movements, colors, and overall animation of the scene made it so much better. 

“Living Armor” is the perfect example of what Delicious in Dungeon is about. It’s a weird, amusing anime that thrives on the combination of the adventuring party’s main traits and the uncanny monsters that live within the dungeon. Both things are a little abnormal so when they come together, audiences get to experience something special. Out of the three episodes so far, this one is my absolute favorite. It perfectly captures what makes Delicious in Dungeon so expressive and interesting to watch.

Delicious in Dungeon is available now on Netflix.

---

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