SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Manga
  • All Ages
  • Young Adult
  • Interviews
  • News

April 24, 2020 by Johanna

Review: ‘Delicious in Dungeon’ Volume 1

April 24, 2020 by Johanna   Leave a Comment

Delicious in Dungeon Volume 1

Delicious in Dungeon
by Ryoko Kui
Yen Press, $15.00
Rated T for Teen

This mashup of a fantasy dungeon crawl and a food manga transcends both genres to make something unique, entertaining, and quite funny.

The fighter Laios leads a young thief and a magic-using elf on a quest, trying to overcome the various monsters and threats inside a sprawling dungeon. On their previous attempt, his sister was eaten by a dragon, but if they can find her quickly enough, they can resurrect her.

Unfortunately, their limited resources means they can’t afford the usual provisions. In order to make up for their inability to buy food, they decide to take the unusual step of foraging for their nourishment. The equivalent here of “living off the land” means eating the different mystical creatures that attack them. Luckily, they run into a dwarf who’s spent a decade eating monsters and who joins their party to educate them.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The comedy comes in how seriously the characters take the food preparation, whether it’s hot pot with bits of giant walking mushroom or an omelet made with basilisk eggs. Each chapter features a creature showdown and a dish made once they’re defeated. One particularly amusing installment has the dwarf using traps with giant blades and boiling oil to chop meat and cook tempura.

Both the fantasy setting, with all the expected elements, and the dishes, twists on familiar meals, are drawn in detail, creating a more realistic feel that makes the adventure fun to follow along. The characters also have interesting debates about where to draw the line in what they’re willing to eat. Their mentor points out important lessons that translate outside the dungeon, such as the need to balance the nutrients one consumes or how to season food to make it more pleasant.

You don’t have to be a gamer to enjoy this humorous adventure, although it helps if you like learning more about fantastic creatures and various ways to cook food while traveling. The book ends with a set of bonus comics, one-pagers with more jokes about the monster from each previous chapter.

Filed under: Manga, Reviews, Young Adult

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments
Dungeon CrawlFood MangaRyoko KuiYen Press

About Johanna

Johanna Draper Carlson has been reviewing comics for over 20 years. She manages ComicsWorthReading.com, the longest-running independent review site online that covers all genres of comic books, graphic novels, and manga. She has an MA in popular culture, studying online fandom, and was previously, among many other things, webmaster for DC Comics. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

February 2023

Insomniacs After School, vol. 1 | Review

by Johanna

January 2023

My Sister, the Cat, vol. 1 | Review

by Johanna

January 2023

SHY, vol. 1 | Review

by Johanna

November 2022

Romantic Killer, vol. 1 | Review

by Johanna

October 2022

No Longer Heroine, vol. 1 | Review

by Johanna

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

One Star Review, Guess Who? (#184)

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Review of the Day – Trees: Haiku from Roots to Leaves by Sally M. Walker, ill. Angela McKay

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Review: Nat the Cat Takes a Nap

by Esther Keller

Heavy Medal

March suggestions: early Mock Newbery possibilities

by Emily Mroczek-Bayci

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Here Be Monsters: On Horror, Catharsis, and Uneasy Truces with Yourself, a guest post by author Rebecca Mahoney

by Karen Jensen, MLS

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey Try Something New

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Graphic Novel Series Updates for Both Die-Hard Fans and New Readers

Graphic Novels for Cat Lovers

Seven Titles with Censorship Themes

Summer Camp and Beyond: 24 Middle Grade Graphic Novels | Summer Reading 2021

10 Standout Graphic Novels by AAPI Creators

Commenting for all posts is disabled after 30 days.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2023


COPYRIGHT © 2023