©Ryoko Kui,KADOKAWA/Delicious in Dungeon PARTNERS
Anime News Network recently had the opportunity to chat with Delicious in Dungeon’s director, Yoshihiro Miyajima, as well as the film’s two main characters, Kentarō Kumagai (Voice of Laios) and Sayaka Senbongi (Marcille). They talk about how they got involved with the project, what viewers should look out for in the show, and their favorite fictional dungeon dishes.
©Ryoko Kui,KADOKAWA/Delicious in the PARTNER dungeon
Kentarō Kumagai (Laios)
How much did you know about the original manga before auditioning? What are your first impressions of Delicious in Dungeon?
I was familiar with the series before, but the first time I read the complete series was right before my audition. My first impression was that it was really fun and entertaining.
What do you think makes Laios feel different from previous roles you’ve played?
I believe that my character, Laios, is very misunderstood. Therefore, the way he communicates with those around him is one of the different characteristics compared to other roles I have played.
What aspect of your character do you find most appealing to portray? Or what do you like most about playing this character?
As a character, one of the things that makes him curious is that he has a very straightforward personality. One of his main goals in the series is to save his sister. Of course, what’s left for him is to be able to try eating all these delicious monsters he’s so curious about.
So, sincerity toward his own desires—what he wants to try and do—is similar to what a boy has. So he has very sincere emotions that I found very interesting to play. That’s what I like about him. He always listens to his heart and morality when acting. He wasn’t trying to be funny or disruptive but ended up doing so by accident. Those are some fascinating things about him.
©Ryoko Kui,KADOKAWA/Delicious in Dungeon PARTNERS
Laios is a serious character in the series and serves as the group’s leader. Therefore, when he acts outside this role, it causes humor. Were you aware of this gap when playing the character? If not, what do you think about playing as Laios?
I believe that Laios is not trying to be a leader or act like the leader of the group—even though that is indeed his role in the adventurers’ party. I don’t think he’s trying to act like a leader, he’s acting just to appear like a leader. He didn’t even think this role was right for him.
However, the actions he takes to save his sister, Falin, or fight monsters and his curiosity eventually create a gap or difference in how he can be humorous and serious at the same time. So when I act, I don’t intentionally create that distance or try to force it. It happened naturally because of his personality and way of thinking.
For audiences who haven’t read the manga, what is the main appeal of Delicious in Dungeon? Why should they watch it?
In Japanese, Delicious in Dungeon is called “Dungeon Meshi”, roughly translated as “Dungeon Food”. As the title suggests, the story depicts people eating food in a dungeon. However, dungeons are often places with nothing to eat—which is why adventurer parties need to bring their own food to survive.
However, in the case of the Laios group, they looked at food differently and began experimenting with things that were considered inedible — then experimenting with how to prepare, cook, and then eat those things. It depicts life in a dungeon.
Of course, this is a foodie story and a foodie anime but I feel the story focuses more on how they live, eat and survive. The importance of food in life and the importance of taking life to survive are also key factors. It has a lot of deeper aspects that you can see when watching the anime or reading the manga. It shows another aspect of food and its significance in our lives. This is one of the things you learn from this anime and that’s why you should watch it.
©Ryoko Kui,KADOKAWA/Delicious in Dungeon PARTNERS
Delicious in Dungeon has attracted much anticipation thanks to the manga’s success. How does it feel to be part of the team bringing this beloved series to anime, and what can viewers expect from the adaptation?
As you said, Ryōko Kui’s manga is already a very popular series, and to turn it into an anime, we were able to collaborate with animation studio Studio Trigger—which has increased the hype and anticipation for with this anime.
I feel honored to be able to portray Laios, a very important role in this series, and feel happy to be involved in the creation and production of this series. I look forward to portraying him and doing justice to him through my acting.
I can’t decide on one specific thing I want people to expect. There is so much heart and passion put into it by each team member. This includes animation, story and layout, art and design that pay respect to the original manga, music, and the acting we do to voice the characters.
They put a lot of things together. love and passion that I can’t choose just one. So I guess what I’m saying is I want you to notice the love and passion coming from each member of the team.
Among the meals in Delicious in Dungeon, which one would you dine on?
There are so many dishes that I’m curious about what they will taste like and I want to try them. So it’s really difficult to choose. But if it was dinner, I would probably choose the Mandrake Omelet that appeared on the show because the hardest thing to imagine is what it would taste like. It looked delicious but I couldn’t imagine what Mandrake would taste like, so that’s what I wanted to try.
Delicious in Dungeon has a typical adventure party. If you were going on a fantasy adventure, which character class would you choose and why?
I think I would choose “swordsman”—and more specifically “samurai” because I like Japanese swords. I want to use them to fight if I join the adventurer group.
©Ryoko Kui,KADOKAWA/Delicious in Dungeon PARTNERS
Sayaka Senbongi (Marcille)
Did you know about the original manga before auditioning? What are your first impressions of Delicious in Dungeon?
I knew about this movie before auditioning. It has been causing a stir since the first manga volume came out and I have heard people around me say that this is a popular series. I know that it’s about defeating monsters and eating them. I knew about the general story before auditioning.
However, after accepting the role, I read the manga and found it very interesting. It has a really good balance between the serious and comedic aspects. I read through it very quickly because I was so fascinated.
For fans watching Delicious in Dungeon, what do you want them to pay attention to when it comes to Marcille?
I’ve mentioned this before but Marcille has many faces. She’s very human and I think that’s one of the most charming things about her. When playing Marcille, I asked myself, “If I were Marcille, would I be able to eat this?” or “I think I can handle this.” I hope that my feelings will be genuine through Marcille.
©Ryoko Kui,KADOKAWA/Delicious in Dungeon PARTNERS
Among the meals in Delicious in Dungeon, which one would you like to eat?
In Delicious in Dungeon, meat appears a lot, so I wanted to try eating meat. I’ve tried real-life things like lamb and duck—and I like them—so I’m really curious to see what the meat in Delicious in Dungeon tastes like.
Delicious in Dungeon stars a typical adventure party. If you were going on a fantasy adventure, which character class would you choose and why?
This is the question “what if I were an adventurer” right? I think it’s a magician, maybe. I can hardly imagine myself physically fighting. Fighting physically requires a lot of muscle, which I don’t have enough of, so I think fighting with magic is what I’ll choose.
©Ryoko Kui,KADOKAWA/Delicious in Dungeon PARTNERS
Directed by Yoshihiro Miyajima
How did the opportunity to direct Delicious in Dungeon come about?
In 2019, I directed a commercial for the eighth episode of Delicious in Dungeon. An anime adaptation had not yet been greenlit at that time. Then TRIGGER contacted me and that’s how I became a director.
As you mentioned, in 2019, you directed a special animation advertisement by Studio Trigger, on the occasion of the release of the 8th manga volume. However, this film is the director’s debut of the television anime. image. What was it like working on Delicious in Dungeon again—this time as the director of a TV series?
When I did manga commercials, I didn’t even think I could do an anime like this. Luckily, I got to work with Studio Trigger and I’m really happy to have been chosen to direct this TV series. At the time, I had no idea it would turn out this way, but now I feel incredibly lucky.
Have you talked to Delicious in Dungeon author Ryōko Kui? What is her involvement in the anime? Was there any feedback or communication between her and the creative team?
Thanks to Studio Trigger, I can have a very good relationship with Kui-Sensei, but this is my first time adapting a manga into an anime. We received comments from Kui-sensei like “I want it to go this way”. She gives a lot of guidance. I am grateful for all the details and all the help she provided to assist us. I can’t go into too much detail but I hope that when you watch the film, you’ll be able to tell that she took a lot of interest in what we produced.
©Ryoko Kui,KADOKAWA/Delicious in the PARTNER dungeon
What guidance do you give voice actors in the recording studio?
In general, I told the cast to read through the source material — to learn about the original manga. But for “in the booth,” it’s hard to detail exactly what I’ll tell them. I just tried to leverage their skills, expertise and acting prowess to bring the characters to life.
For fans watching Delicious in Dungeon, what do you want them to pay attention to?
We love Delicious in Dungeon as much as anyone else. What I want fans to pay attention to is how the anime brings the manga’s story to life through music, voice acting, and animation. Since the story is not just told through still images, it is possible that some new aspects of the story have emerged thanks to animation.
I think this is a fresh and new way to experience Delicious in Dungeon. And for those who haven’t read the manga, this story is amazing and very interesting. Please look forward to it.
Do you have a message for fans who want to watch the anime?
The animation team and voice cast worked hard to create this amazing anime. Wish you have fun watching the movie Delicious in Dungeon.
Delicious in Dungeon is streamed weekly on Netflix.