"Dungeon Meshi," a gourmet fantasy series set for an anime adaptation in January 2024, tells the story of a man who wants to recover and revive his sister who died in the dungeon, but has lost all his money and food, so he must survive by surviving by eating monsters while exploring the dungeon. It's a work packed with laughs, food horror, and mystery! The characters are all unique and come from a variety of races. Here's a look at the characters who appear in Dungeon Meshi!
Character #1: Laios Toden, Race: Thorman
The protagonist of the series, a warrior clad in armor. Calm and collected, and skilled as a warrior, he is the leader who leads the party, and his greatest weapon is his intimate knowledge of the ecology and characteristics of monsters, to the point that he is known as a monster maniac. He has long been interested in eating monsters, and was proactive in making a living by eating monsters to go and rescue his sister. Although he is a reliable person, there are quite a few people who find him difficult to deal with, as he makes comments that do not read the situation, is easily deceived, has trouble remembering other people's faces, and is indifferent to things other than those that interest him. He is the comic relief.
Character #2: Marsil Donato, Race: Half-Elf
Marsil is a knowledgeable and intelligent wizard who can cast advanced spells...but she also has a clumsy and careless side. She has a strong psychological aversion to eating monsters, and initially refuses to eat them at all. However, once she does, she often finds them surprisingly delicious, leaving her with mixed emotions. As an elf, she has beautiful features, but she's treated rather poorly as a heroine, often making comments to the laid-back Laios and displaying amusing reactions. Although she's the straight man, she's also the comedian due to her harsh treatment of others.
Character #3: Farin Toden, Race: Tallman
Laios' younger sister. She's a gentle, laid-back woman with a soothing personality. A magician by profession, she specializes in healing and support magic, and is particularly skilled in exorcisms. When the party was nearly wiped out in a battle with a red dragon, she mustered her last bit of strength and led the entire party back home, even as she was nearly eaten by the dragon, but she herself was unable to return. After recovering bones from the red dragon's body, Marsil revives her using dark magic, but she is transformed into a chimera by the mad sorceress, Sisyl, ruler of the labyrinth. Because she was revived using the red dragon's flesh and blood, she blindly obeys Sisyl and becomes hostile to Laios and his men without even realizing it.
Character #4: Chilchuck Tames, Species: Halffoot
Although she appears childish at first glance due to her small stature and baby-face, she is actually 29 years old and married with children. She is thoughtful and considerate. Although he is a realist, he also has a rather loyal side, such as accompanying Laios to rescue Farin after his party was wiped out, even though some others left. His occupation is scouting, and he specializes in detecting and disarming traps and opening doors and treasure chests in advance. However, he is not good at combat and often serves as rear support. Furthermore, due to past experiences, he dislikes trap-type monsters such as mimics and tentacles.
Character #5: Senshi - Occupation: Dwarf
A dwarf who lives a self-sufficient life in the dungeon while researching monster food. As Laios and his friends struggle with their monster cooking, she appears before them and gives them a lecture on monster cuisine. Since they share the same goal of cooking and tasting the Red Dragon, she forms a party with them. She's skilled in cooking in general and knowledgeable about monster cuisine. While supporting the party with meals, she often fights on the front lines in battle. Her name, Senshi, means "seeker" in Dwarven.
Character #6: Namari - Race: Dwarf
A female Dwarf mercenary who left Laios's party after their entire party was wiped out in the battle with the Red Dragon. Her father was known as a "weapons dealer" and was involved in the distribution of weapons, but disappeared after his embezzlement was discovered. Afterwards, she worked as a mercenary to repay her father's debts and raise the status of dwarves, but after her party was destroyed, she joined a more lucrative party. She herself has a deep knowledge of weapons, and is particular about their maintenance and quality. She felt guilty towards Laios and the others for leaving the party, and continued to care for them even after she left.
Character #7: Shrow, Race: Tallman
Like Namari, this member left Laios's party after being wiped out in the battle with the Red Dragon. He is an oriental-looking man who uses a sword. He is a highly skilled adventurer, capable of cutting down giant monsters like sea serpents with a single slash. He had feelings for Farin and even proposed to her, but he left the party because he felt he would have a higher chance of success if he used his own connections. He formed his own party and began searching for Farin. His real name is "Hanmoto Toshiro," pronounced "Toshiro," but because it's difficult to pronounce, he's called "Shrow."
Character #8: Asebi/Idzutsumi, Species: Tallman
A ninja who accompanied Shrow's group. He disappeared when the group returned, and later reappeared before Laios. He was transformed into a beastman by the blending of human and animal souls through dark magic. He planned to use Marsil, who can use dark magic, to restore his original form, but even Marsil was unable to reverse the curse. He decided to join Laios's group in the hope of lifting the curse. While he possesses excellent fighting abilities even with his bare hands, his extremely temperamental and selfish personality makes him uncomfortable in group activities. He also has a picky eating habit and refuses to eat anything he doesn't like. He's reluctant to open up to his party members, but gradually begins to open up.
Character #9 - Kapuru - Species: Tall Man
A quirky, dark-skinned adventurer. He's calm and collected, and enjoys observing people. He's well-mannered and friendly, but also cunning. Even before entering the labyrinth, he recognized Laios and thought of him as "a hypocrite who, while not particularly strong, is the closest to conquering the labyrinth, yet has no interest in humans and acts without regard for profit or loss," and he set out to uncover his true identity. We learn that his strength and motivations are due to his knowledge of monsters and his love of eating them. As a result, he ends up being forced to eat them. He briefly considers killing them and running away, but ultimately ends up eating them.
Character 10: Sissle (Mad Magician) Race: Elf
A dark-skinned elf who is the master of the dungeon. It's said to appear when those outside the labyrinth interfere with the labyrinth more than necessary. He appears before Laios and his party after defeating the Red Dragon, and turns the resurrected Farin into a chimera. He regards the dungeon as the property of his master, King Delgar, and holds an intense hatred towards anyone who interferes with the labyrinth, calling them thieves and usurpers. His true identity is that of a court magician from a kingdom that existed approximately 1,000 years ago, who became the master of the labyrinth out of loyalty to the then king, Delgar. Later, out of pure goodwill, he cursed the kingdom's people with immortality and bound them within the dungeon.
Character #11: Misrun, Race: Elf
Captain of the Canary Squad, an elite elven unit organized to investigate and control dangerous labyrinths. He wields advanced teleportation magic and has extensive knowledge of monsters, but he has lost most of his emotions and desires. He was once the master of the labyrinth, and even his essential needs, such as food and sleep, were consumed by the labyrinth's demons. However, his desire for revenge against the demons was the only thing that remained, and he lives on that desire.
[Dungeon Food] Character Summary
Here's a summary of the main characters appearing in Dungeon Food, which will be adapted into an anime in 2024! All of the characters are strong and comical, so it's easy to grow attached to them! The dungeon action is entertaining, with gags and food-related thrills, but the gradually unfolding mysteries and the climax in the second half are also fascinating, making this a work that can be enjoyed from many angles! Of course, the anime is also highly anticipated, so I hope you'll check it out!
