Senshi dreams of bread in the 'Delicious in Dungeon' episode "Stewed Cabbage/Orcs"

It’s time to get that bread with Delicious in Dungeon this week! “Stewed Cabbage/Orcs” is the fourth episode of the series from Studio TRIGGER and it continues to build the world within the dungeon. This week, Senshi is the main focus of the episode. We finally get a look behind the curtain of where he lives within the dungeon, along with some of the connections he has and how he survives on the lower levels.

“Stewed Cabbage/Orcs” should be titled “Senshi Showcase” with how the dwarf was at the center of everything in the episode. It’s revealed that Senshi only leaves the dungeon when he needs to trade for items such as spices. This in and of itself is abnormal for the typical adventurer who goes through the dungeon and then leaves. Senshi actually lives in the dungeon, just like the monsters he so carefully cooks. Additionally, he uses the golems on that level of the dungeon as his own personal fields for his crops. Whether this is genius or completely crazy is up for debate, but we get to witness just how dexterous he is at handling these monsters. Unlike other adventurers who might fall victim to them, Senshi knows exactly how fast he needs to move in order to remove the core from them —something Marcille mentions later as illegal.

Throughout this half of the episode, we also learn that Senshi takes the balance of the dungeon seriously. For everything he takes, he does something of equal value. When it comes to using the golems to harvest vegetables, Senshi cleans up the bathrooms on that floor of the dungeon. Not only does he use the waste water to fertilize the golems, but this keeps the floor tidy for other adventurers. The ecosystem of the dungeon is fragile and it begs the question, if Senshi doesn’t do his part to keep it running, who will?

The second half of the episode tries to answer some of that question again by introducing the orcs. It’s odd for orcs to be so close to the surface in the dungeon and because of this, everyone in the tavern other than our main adventuring party is slaughtered. It’s revealed that the orcs typically trade crops with Senshi which is why they didn’t kill them. But, because of the red dragon attacking their home, they were going to take all of their food and belongings. What might Senshi’s solution to this be? Well, he plans to make bread even as the orcs lock them up with the chickens.

Senshi gripping the fence of the chicken coop and chanting bread over and over again is the most relatable thing in any anime I’ve ever watched.

The worldbuilding that goes into “Stewed Cabbage/Orcs” is something small, but important. Racial tensions between orcs and other races are clear from the moment the adventuring party comes in contact with the orcs at the tavern. So far, this is the first instance of tension within the world of Delicious in Dungeon and one that shouldn’t be forgotten. It’s clear that both Marcille and Zon have strong opinions about each other’s race, but their situation welcomes a dialogue to take place between them. This conversation brings a bit of realism into the mix, making it clear that not everything is happy-go-luck in the world or in the dungeon — especially if orcs are seen as monsters instead of another humanoid race.

The character design is something that continues to amaze me each week. Both the orcs and golems felt so natural to the universe while also being diverse. The design of the orcs was beyond my imagination. No two looked the same which is unique for a race that is often portrayed as carbon copies of one another. Even Bahay, the baby orc, is depicted as distinct with his own coloring and pattern. When it comes to the golems, they’re actually sort of cute. Something about them reminded me of a Hello Kitty character in a way; perhaps it’s the lack of a mouth. Additionally, despite not having any facial features other than two glowing eyes, they were expressive while trying to fight Senshi. These little things make life within the dungeon special. It creates a remarking world that we won’t soon forget.

“Stewed Cabbage/Orcs” was a nice refocus on what makes Delicious in Dungeon so unique: food and how it brings people together. Despite the differences between races, they still manage to sit down for a dinner that allows them to bridge the gap between them, even if it’s only a small amount. The episode also fleshes out Senshi’s character enough that leaves us wanting to learn even more about him.