Laios sweats in ‘Delicious in Dungeon’ episode 12

Marcille is cranking up the heat in the kitchen in the Delicious In Dungeon episode 12 “Red Dragon II.” At long last, Laios’ party has defeated the red dragon and now it’s time to bring Falin back from the dead. Unfortunately for them, it’s not as easy as that sounds. As a result, the spotlight is on Marcille as she reveals her true motivations.

Falin is officially back in the party! It’s a small win that Laios’ party desperately needs after trucking through the upper levels of the dungeon. However, it’s clear that something is off with her post-revival . Her visions of a ghost of a child who isn’t there doesn’t exactly bode well for the party — something I’m sure Laios realizes when he’s talking to her. However, much like he did with Kensuke, he keeps this to himself. I’m sure anyone watching knows that this will come back to bite them, but who can blame Laios for wanting to enjoy his sister being back from the dead?

As much as this is a Falin episode, the focus on Marcille is what makes “Red Dragon II” shine. At long last, we learn that Marcille’s magical focus is on forbidden magic. Despite Chilchuck and Senshi’s qualms about it being “bad” magic, Marcille makes it clear that magic isn’t good or bad. Instead, it’s simply the intention of how you use it. She doesn’t deny that what she’s doing is dangerous — she is well aware that what she’s doing is illegal because of how dangerous it is — but it’s their only option left when it comes to bringing Falin back to life.

This scene adds so much to Marcille’s character and makes her more than just the monster-eating hater that I’ve mentioned before. She’s a well-rounded character that people shouldn’t brush off because of her bratty attitude. Doing so dismisses a major character and reduces her to nothing more than a sidekick.

I want to bring attention to the meal cooked during “Red Dragon II.” Up to episode twelve, most of the meals haven’t been these huge feasts with three different dishes in one sitting. Additionally, the meal almost blew up in their faces quite literally. Everyone should say “thank you Falin” for saving them. The thing about this meal is that it’s indulgent. It’s a lot of red meat cooked three different ways for the party to eat however they see fit. Really, the sheer amount of food is what catches my eye. It compliments how Laios reacts when the rest of the party compares the meat to other meals they’ve had. Perhaps it’s because Falin is finally with them, but this might be my favorite meal in the series so far.

Delicious In Dungeon is one of those anime that lure you into a sense of security with its dialogue, music, and tone of each episode. Despite this, the content in the episode has been getting darker throughout. This distinction is obvious and is definitely something that I’m sure Ryoko Kui wanted fans to notice. The deeper the party goes in the dungeon, the darker the plot. We see this especially in “Red Dragon I,” where the episode ends with Falin being digested and all hope is lost for the moment It is doubled down on in “Red Dragon II” at the very last moment. The second cour of Delicious In Dungeon is sure to bring more of this. I can’t wait to see how TRIGGER brings Ryoko Kui’s dichotomy to life.

“Red Dragon II” is the perfect example of why I love Delicious In Dungeon so much. The first plot arc is about love and what people are willing to do when someone they love is in danger. The lengths that the entire party goes to in order to rescue Falin show how deeply they care for her, even Senshi who doesn’t even know her. Studio TRIGGER did an amazing job of concluding the first arc while starting the next arc at the same time. For anime-only watchers, strap in and get ready — because this is when things start getting intense.