REVIEW: ‘Delicious In Dungeon’ Episode 5 — “Snacks/Sorbet”

With the Orc encounter behind them, the party continues its journey deeper into the dungeon. But new threats are around every corner. And the ones coming in studio TRIGGER’s Delicious in Dungeon (Dungeon Meshi) Episode 5, “Snack/Sorbet” will turn their thoughts towards their missing member, Falin (Saori Hayami, Spy x Family).

This week’s episode opens with the introduction of a new adventuring party. This group plans to conquer the dungeon and defeat the magician at its core. This group has a wonderfully natural chemistry as we observe them prepare to begin their journey. The way they banter and fearlessly address each other when they disagree speaks to a high level of confidence in their familiarity with each other. Delicious in Dungeon Episode 5 follows the group until they discover a small chest filled with gold and jewels. Such a find is uncommon on the upper levels of the dungeon.

When we join up with our protagonists, they discover the bodies of the previous party scattered and dead with the gold and jewels all about them. As it turns out, the treasure is a swarm of insect-like monsters in disguise. The party is saved thanks to Laios’ (Kentarô Kumagi) secret monster companion, who warns him of the danger.

This discovery besets the party with terror—exemplified by Marcille’s (Sayaka Senbongi) panicked reaction. She reflexively casts a shock spell, stunning the creepy crawlies and the rest of the party. Her trademark terror is comical amidst the danger, as is the image of her party bumping into each other as they shake off the effects of her reactionary attack.

Once the daze wears off, we see Senshi (Hiroshi Naka) launch into his routine of food preparation. Not surprisingly, he knows just how to whip up a delicious meal made from their latest encounter. While this meal is another rousing success for the skilled chef, it does underscore an aspect of cuisine that the series hasn’t addressed.

Every dish Senshi has made thus far receives universal praise from his compatriots. While the focus of the show is how much delicious food can be found in the dungeon, no food always appeals to everyone. Rather than loving every dish, varying responses from party members would make these moments more interesting. If viewers got a feel for what things each character likes, it would give this central focus of the show more impact. Surprises coming with a response to a dish’s flavor or texture could add more interest in these moments.

As Delicious in Dungeon Episode 5 moves on, we get to learn more about the lost party member Falin. We learn about her role as a cleric in the party, as well as her kindness. We see in flashbacks that she holds a great respect for everything, even monsters. In an encounter with ghosts, we see Falin exercise them through a loving embrace, rather than destructive magic. She sees the ghosts as hurting spirits, not deserving of violence. The story leaves no doubt that she was a wonderful person to have around.

The party misses her proficiency with spirits as the back half of the narrative finds them swarmed by poltergeists. Bereft of a cleric’s powers, Senshi manages to whip up a quick batch of holy water using food elements associated with concepts like light and life.

While Senshi whips up his ad-hoc ghost repellent, we get an emotional moment from Laios as a ghost haunts him with the image of Falin. This moment is touching as the audience has just come to better understand what a wonderful person Laios’ sister was. Laios’ hurt over his missing sibling is striking. The animation delivers the painful moment extremely well as we can’t help but feel for Laios.

Once the ghosts are driven off, Senshi discovers that the chill of their spirits has caused the holy water within its jar to frost, creating a sorbet-like substance. Thanks to the mix of ingredients that make up the water, the concoction ends up being an unexpected sweet treat.

This surprising confection brings a fun change of pace to the approach to food in the show. Not even Senshi knew this would be the outcome. The discovery nudges the approach to food ever so slightly outside the routine the series has established thus far. Hopefully, the show may get even bolder with these elements allowing more unexpected things to occur. It would help the series stay fresh as it progresses through its narrative.

Delicious in Dungeon Episode 5 delivers a lot. It helps the audience understand who Falin is, as well as why the party is going to such great lengths to get her back.

Delicious in Dungeon Episode 5 is streaming now on Netflix.