Wonderful in the dungeonthe new culinary fantasy anime from Studio Trigger (Cyberpunk: Edgerunners) which premiered on Netflix earlier this month packs a lot into the first five minutes of the first episode.
In that short time, the series establishes the setting (a fantasy world with a magical underground dungeon), the stakes (adventurers must reach a far-flung level of the dungeon before their comrade is consumed by the dragon that swallowed her), and, finally the unique hook: to quickly reach their destination, our heroes choose not to waste time earning money to buy provisions, but choose to eat the dungeon monsters they encounter along the way.
Image: Studiotrigger/Netflix
With this, Wonderful in the dungeon transforms the fantasy genre into a fascinating mix of intense sword-and-sorcery battles, slice-of-life comedy and quiet moments dedicated to preparing and eating mouthwatering dishes such as Huge scorpion and walking mushroom hotpot, Man-eating plant cake, and more. This principle does not alone Wonderful in the dungeon stands out among other recent fantasy fare, but positions it as the latest example in an emerging genre of culinary-themed shows that I’d call “action gourmet” anime. This new genre combines gut-wrenching combat with lengthy food-centric breaks iyashikei (literally Japanese for ‘healing’) anime in which things like antagonists, conflict or drama are replaced with relaxing real-life scenes to help the audience appreciate the simpler things in life.
While the subgenre of action gourmet is only now coming into its own, there are plenty of examples of shows that justify this new categorization, each repeating the basic elements of the genre in their own wonderfully interesting way.
Toriko: a cartoonish yet endearing love letter to food
Image: Toei Animation/Funimation
Where to watch: Hulu and Crunchyroll
At first sight, Toriko couldn’t be more different from Wonderful in the dungeon. The latter, based on a manga by Ryoko Kui, is about being open to unconventional culinary experiences, such as a fantasy version of Anthony Bourdain: No reservations. Toriko, based on Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro’s manga, is closer in style to a Merrie Melodies cartoon. Imagine a world where roasted meat grows on trees. A world chock full of ramen simmering in bowl-shaped lilies, burgers dangling from shamrocks and syrupy pancake fruit. That’s the world that Toriko, a ‘Gourmet Hunter’ with superhuman strength, traverses in search of the ultimate ingredients to create a perfect complete meal.
Despite all their differences, Toriko And Wonderful in the dungeon Just follow the basic gastronomic formula: outlandish action followed by low-key scenes where characters prepare and enjoy delectable dishes that stand out even by the famously high standards of anime food. Which is also remarkable Toriko is that the first episode was actually a crossover with A piecea series that may have sown the seeds for this new anime genre.
One Piece: An Early Ingredient of Gourmet Action Anime?
Image: Toei Animation/Crunchyroll
Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu
In the first episode of Toriko, the protagonist and his sidekick the Straw Hat Pirates cross paths on a food-filled island and join forces to hunt ferocious barbecue pigs that conveniently come pre-grilled. The crossover was a perfect fit, as food plays a major role in both shows. The world of A piece is home to fantastic locations like Whole Cake Island, and many of the main characters are associated with food, including Luffy’s love for meat on the bone, Franky who is literally powered by coke, Chopper’s passion for cotton candy, or Nami’s personal history with mikan ( satsuma mandarins). That doesn’t matter A piece a gourmet action anime in its own right, but it is Toriko crossover certainly laid the foundation for this emerging genre.
Another example is in the 197th episode of A piece, where chef Sanji features two headstrong chefs cooking a delicious meal with the leftovers they left behind. With this episode coming towards the end of the adrenaline-pumped Skypiea Saga, you could argue that this one slow-burn episode of the G-8 Arc could be considered a possible precursor to modern gourmet action anime.
Drifting Dragons: a half-baked premise with a serious message
Image: Polygon Images/Netflix
Where to watch: Netflix
Wonderful in the dungeon And Toriko are ultimately food fiction, set in fantasy worlds filled with even more fantastic ingredients A pieceThe 197th episode of the series offers real kitchen tips, such as how to turn the leftover meat scraped from the bones into meatballs to ensure nothing goes to waste. The anime of 2020 Floating dragons has a similar tone, following the story of a whaling ship and its crew – although in this case the ‘whaling ship’ is an airship and the ‘whales’ are dragons hunted by ‘drakers’.
Adapted from a manga by Taku Kuwabara, the anime features many towering dragon hunts, but large parts of the series are devoted to scenes of dragons making dragon fat or scraping meat from bones for cooking. Kuwabara places a lot of emphasis on the grueling work required to obtain certain foods and ingredients, and while the whaling allegory may seem a bit dated, the message of respecting the behind-the-scenes efforts in food production still remains applicable to some foods. obtained under dangerous conditions, such as snow crabs. It is a show that encourages the audience’s appreciation for food, while also giving them tips on how to prepare certain dishes, such as preparing a steak sandwich with stale bread in the first episode or ‘alla diavola’ grilled meat in episode 2. Other gourmet shows have incorporated real-life cooking techniques into their stories.
Campfire cooking in another world with My Absurd Skill: the pleasure of modern conveniences
Image: MAPPA/Crunchyroll
Where to watch: Crispy roll
There’s an old internet joke that goes, “We take it for granted, but a single Dorito has a more extreme nacho flavor than a farmer in the 14th century would get in a lifetime.” Campfire cooking in another world with my absurd skills is like the anime version of that.
Based on a light novel series by Ren Eguchi, the anime follows an office worker who is transported to a fantasy world and tries to live a simple life by using his unique ability: being able to purchase things from modern Japan through a magical equivalent. from the internet. He then uses these ingredients to prepare meals unlike anything his new home had ever seen or tasted, to the amazement of those around him.
Like it Floating dragons, Campfire cooking in another world with my absurd skills has real cooking techniques. But here they’re more of a celebration of all the great, rich flavors we take for granted. In the first episode of the anime, the main character gains a powerful magical familiarity as he serves ginger pork with a simple sauce in a bottle that can be found in any Japanese supermarket. While this sauce wouldn’t be extraordinary in our world, for the creature and other characters in this world, it is one of the most amazing things they have ever tasted. In Campfire cooking, Ren Eguchi often stages enormous fantasy battles and then turns down the heat by showing an appreciation for modern conveniences and the joys of simple but flavorful meals. This love for food is reflected not only in this show, but in every anime in the emerging genre of action gourmet.
Image: Studiotrigger/Netflix
At the end of the first episode of Wonderful in the dungeonthe knight Laios says that the reality of life is that ‘eating is the privilege of the living’. For all the fantasy elements of the anime, it is a very raw message that cuts to the bone and emphasizes the relationship between food and those who consume it. Wonderful in the dungeon, Toriko, Floating dragons, Campfire cooking in another world with my absurd skillsand many more, all take different approaches to the same message, but ultimately all preach the same thing.
It could also be argued that another key ingredient of a gourmet action anime is the combination of action and action iyashikei scenes to enhance both, such as how certain flavors are more pronounced when paired with their opposites. By weaving together a story of contrasting shades, action gourmet shows make their action more exciting and their food scenes more relaxing. More shows need to come out and experiment with the formula for the action gourmet genre to fully develop, but the journey so far has been absolutely delightful.