‘Delicious In Dungeon’ review: “Tentacles/Stew” adds drama to the party

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a tentacle monster! Delicious In Dungeon is back with episode 9, “Tentacles/Stew,” introducing another party but focusing on a face we’ve seen before. Namari, a dwarf, has been featured in the opening, but up until now, viewers don’t know much about her. It’s through her that we get to learn more about the older party’s dynamics and the tension that comes with complicated relationships. 

There was a glimpse of Namari in both “Raspberries/ Grilled Meat” and “Hot Pot/Tart,” but “Tentacles/Stew” is when we learn about who she is. The first thing revealed about her is the tense relationship between her and Marcille. Despite Namari having valid reasons for leaving the party, Marcille holds it against her. And who can blame her at the time? She doesn’t have all of the information until after the fact. However, that doesn’t hold Namari back from pursuing other adventures, which is exactly how they ran into each other again. There’s a scene between her and Laios where he mentions that he trusts her completely when it comes to weapons that stick out to me. It’s a quick, casual scene that doesn’t seem like it would be important, but it is. Up until this point, we know that Laios trusts each party member when it comes to their specialty. So while Laios could be upset with Namari for leaving, he isn’t and he still trusts her abilities. Something about this interaction humanizes Laios to me and I think it’s an underrated moment in an otherwise jam-packed episode. 

The close-knit adventuring society that Chilchuck mentions is a fun twist that builds upon the dungeon lore. Watchers already know that there are a plethora of adventuring parties that dive into the dungeon — corpse revivers, gold scalpers, and more — but, until “Tentacles/Stew,” we’re unaware of how small that community actually is. Gossip travels fast, so any party changes are known pretty quickly which is the case with Namari. While she wouldn’t have any trouble finally clientele to work for, her reputation would definitely take a hit. This information about the adventuring community adds a new layer to the world that Delicious In Dungeon takes place in. 

“Tentacles/Stew” switches up the formula this week by having Marcille cook for the party. As the one member of the party who is adamant about not eating monsters but ends up doing so reluctantly, it was nice seeing her prepare a meal for the party. Marcille, at the end of the day, is practical. She’s well aware that if she doesn’t have mana, she can’t continue on the adventure and her desire to save Falin trumps her reluctance to eat monsters. Dare I say she even looks like she’s having fun making the stew? 

Once again, I have to bring attention to the monster design in Delicious In Dungeon. A tentacle monster is nothing new for most people — wink wink — but to have it paralyze its victims upon snatching can be. Additionally, the banana-like interior is pretty cool in and of itself. Ryoko Kui isn’t reinventing the wheel here, but her take on these monsters is fresh. It brings a new appreciation for their design, given we’ve seen them countless times. 

“Tentacles/Stew” once again proves that a series that builds off of the weeks before works really well. Each episode uses the one from the week before to create a narrative that makes something special. It’s easy to write off Delicious In Dungeon as a funky little weird series that focuses on food, but it wouldn’t be accurate. The interconnected backgrounds between characters that are revealed each week is a wonderful way to create different dynamics within a small cast of characters. Even if they’re not a part of the main party, the audience learns more about them each week in ways they don’t expect. It’s reminiscent of a bygone era of anime that I watched when I was younger and I can’t wait to see more of it. Driving the plot forward through its characters and expanding on their backgrounds, abilities, and even their flaws instead of simply action makes Delicious In Dungeon a refreshing watch. 

Delicious in Dungeon is available now on Netflix.

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