Summary
A well-rounded episode that further illustrates the complexity of the relationship and working dynamics amongst adventurers.
With Marcille injured and mana-less, Laios’ party seems to be stuck on the fourth floor until further notice. Luckily, it just so happens that another party is making their way to the fourth floor in Episode 9 of Delicious in Dungeon Season 1. Whether they’re friendly enough to share their supplies remains to be seen, but without them, there’s little chance Laios and his friends make it any farther.
The episode opens with Laios’ party eating on the fourth floor when another party approaches them. The new party wonders if they’re encountering criminals when suddenly Chilchuck and Laios recognize one of their former party members, Namari, in the group.
In Namari’s new party, there are four other members. The first two are a gnome couple named Mr. and Mrs. Tansu, the former being the party leader. The remaining two members are Kaka and Kiki, a set of tall-man twins.
Laios asks Namari’s new party if anyone can help heal Marcille, but they are only willing to help for payment. Next, Laios warns them about the Undine that is still ahead, but the group confronts it anyway. The Undine immediately kills Namari, but Mr. Tansu revives her upon returning to Laios’ camp.
Why does revival magic work in the Dungeon?
Revival magic works thanks to a powerful spell in the Dungeon that tethers people’s souls to their bodies after death. This allows them to be easily revived after death, no matter how grave the wound was.
Mr. Tansu hires Laios’s party to help him with research in exchange for assisting Marcille. Immediately, Kiki is snatched up by a poisonous Tentacle Monster, forcing Laios to get captured to save her. They head back to camp to be healed, and Laios learns an Ivy Monster attacked them.
Mr. Tansu decides to take his party back to the surface. Laios suggests Marcille join them since her mana is depleted, but she refuses. She instead chooses to attempt to catch the Undine and consume it to regain her mana that way.
Using Senshi’s adamantine cooking pot as a shield, they attack the Undine and manage to capture it. They then trap it over a fire to cook it into a stew.
The two parties enjoy the Kelpie and Undine stew together, and it slowly begins to restore Marcille’s mana.
Laios asks about their other former party member, Shuro, and Namari assumes he, too, is searching for Falin since he was in love with her.
From the beginning, it’s been clear that Delicious in Dungeon isn’t solely about cooking or monster recipes. It can feel subtle at times, but this series seems to have much to say about everything from how ecosystems thrive to co-worker relationships and family dynamics. It’s about the food, but it has so much more to say, and that was especially apparent in Episode 9.
Namari’s mindset and motivations in this episode gave some perspective to things, as viewers realized adventuring is still very much a job to some people, no matter how close you once were. The difference between her and Chilchuck’s choices to stay or leave the party despite similar monetary motivations only highlighted that point even further.
With each week, this series seems to delve deeper and deeper below the surface of being the fantasy cooking anime to reveal a much more complex story, and as a viewer, I am very curious to see just where Season 1 of Delicious in Dungeon will continue to take us.
What did you think of Delicious in Dungeon Season 1 Episode 9? Comment below.
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