#Hikidashi ni Terrarium

[peerless-cucumber]

if you need more ryoko kui fantasy I highly recommend her one shot collections!!! In order: Terrarium in Drawer, The Dragon's School is on Top of the Mountain, Seven Little Sons of the Dragon

[arkumami]

[siroofington]

Ryoko Kui Feb 2024 Famitsu interview on video games that inspired Dungeon Meshi

I saw this interview and thought people on here might be interested! Please note that this was translated by reddit user turin-dono, NOT ME, and they made some disclaimers about any errors there may be. Click here if you want to read the interview/their post on Reddit.

SPECIAL INTERVIEW

The original author of Dungeon Meshi is quite a game lover! A special interview is provided to commemorate the special feature!

We had a talk with author of Dungeon Meshi, Kui Ryōko-sensei just about the games

The manga Dungeon Meshi has reached its conclusion in its 14 volumes. Its author, Kui Ryōko, turns out to be quite a game fan! We asked her to be interviewed for this special feature, to which she kindly agreed to. The extent of her gamer spirit is beyond imagination… We are pleased to present this valuable interview with a number of compelling titles.

(full text under the cut)

PROFILE

Kui Ryōko has been active as a dōjinshi artist on pixiv and Comitia, and made her debut in March 2011 with Ryū no Gakkō wa Yama no Ue Kui Ryōko Sakuhinshū “The School of Dragons is on the Mountain – Kui Ryōko’s Anthology”. In 2012 she published Kui Ryōko Sakuhinshū Ryū no Kawaii Nanatsu no Ko “Kui Ryōko’s Anthology: Seven Sweet Kids of the Dragon” and in 2013 won the 17th Japan Media Arts Festival Manga Division Excellence Award with Hikidashi ni Terrarium “Terrarium in Drawer”. In 2014 Dungeon Meshi started its serialisation in Harta (Kadokawa) magazine, with serialisation ending in September 2023. A total of 14 volumes of the manga are currently on sale.

Playing "Wizardry 6", I thought to myself, "I want to draw stories and drawings like this"

My formative experience with games was with “Wizardry” my father used to play

-         This time, rather than talking about Dungeon Meshi, I would rather like to talk with you about video games, as I heard that you are quite fond of them.

Kui-sensei:       I may be biased [about games she likes, I guess], but I’m looking forward to this interview.

-         When I first read Dungeon Meshi, I felt that its setting where a party consisting of characters like a human, an elf, a dwarf and a so-called hobbit venture deep into the dungeon was reminiscent of a classic fantasy RPG.

Kui:      That's right. My father played various games on the NES console, starting with "Wizardry", and that was great entertainment for us, so it might have been something like a formative experience [in gaming, I guess] for me. When I was a child, these games were too difficult for me to play by myself. However, as I was growing up I started thinking, "I liked the atmosphere of that game" and "I want to draw something with that kind of atmosphere” and that was probably what inspired me.

-         Did you watch your father play games?

Kui:      A lot. Among the various games, “Wizardry" was a bit different from the fun-to-watch games like "Dragon Quest", "Ultima" and "Fire Emblem”. Its first-person perspective with the continuously identical scenery made it seem like a rather plain game to my childish mind. However, I also remember finding great enjoyment in the monster illustrations found in its strategy guides and stared at them for hours on end.

-         Yes, the strategy guides had illustrations that you couldn't see in the game itself.

Kui:      Growing up, I started playing RPGs and other games by myself, but because of times like taking entrance exams and when I started living on my own, I distanced myself from games for a while.

-         Yes, that's right. Many people have experiences like that, don't they?

Kui:      I started playing games again when the serialization of Dungeon Meshi was decided. Learning that "Wizardry" itself has various influences from other works, I felt I should depict [my work] with a good understanding of those currents. So, while checking out computer games and TRPGs, I ended up exploring various works.

-         So. you started studying games because of Dungeon Meshi.

Kui:      I also liked novels like "The Neverending Story" and "The Lord of the Rings", so I was already familiar with fantasy. However, I hadn't really thought about why similar terms appear in games here and there, so I thought to myself, "Come to think of it, why is it like that?"

-         So, from there, the world expanded. Regarding the title Dungeon Meshi, and there is also the English title which is “Delicious in Dungeon”, I assumed it was a nod to "Dungeons & Dragons".

Kui:      The English title was actually chosen by my editor, and indeed, as far as I heard, it was consciously referencing "D&D." In fact, I only became aware of tabletop RPGs as an adult. When researching the history of games, you inevitably come across the name "Dungeons & Dragons". So, I read rulebooks and replay novels, and even played some computer RPGs based on "D&D". Since I didn't have anyone to play it with at the time, I feel like I haven't fully experienced it compared to people who have played it extensively.

-         Earlier you mentioned that you had dabbled a bit with PlayStation and such. Are there any games that left a lasting impression on you?

Kui:      That would probably be "Final Fantasy VII." The "Final Fantasy" series had amazing graphics, and I remember being amazed each time a new game came out, thinking, "Is this the limit of graphical evolution?"

In games, even seemingly unnecessary things can bring joy just by being there

-         You mentioned that since the serialization of Dungeon Meshi started around 2014 you began playing various games. For this interview, your editor provided us a list of games you enjoy in advance. Looking at that list, it seems quite diverse. You mentioned you started playing games for manga research purposes, but do you remember the first game you played specifically for research?

Kui:      I bought it more for study and learning, but the first one was "Legend of Grimrock." "Dungeon Master" was famous as an RPG where you eat meals, so I wanted to play it, but the hassle of playing it on an actual machine was too much [for me]. That's why I played "Legend of Grimrock," which is heavily influenced by "Dungeon Master." Without the serialisation [of Dungeon Meshi], it was probably the type of game I wouldn't have played. But the volume [of content] and difficulty were just right, so that I had that satisfying feeling of completing the game, becoming a good memory for me. Being able to play with modern graphics in first-person dungeon ambience also served as a good reference. I feel this prompted me to start playing various games.

-         "Legend of Grimrock" was quite a challenging title, especially for those who hadn't played games in a while…

Kui:      The basic rules weren't overly complicated. However, at first, I didn't realize it was an action game, so I would just stand still and get beaten up. Once I understood to use good timing to dodge enemy attacks and strike during openings, it became enjoyable. It hasn't been translated into Japanese, but since there isn't much text, I played the English version.

-         And from there, you started playing various games.

Kui:      I used to feel a bit apprehensive about games than were not turn-based RPGs, but I decided to stop being prejudiced and try out any games that looked interesting. As I played games like "Red Dead Redemption 2" and "God of War," I found their stories intriguing and gradually became more and more hooked.

-         While continuing the serialisation, you even played games...

Kui:      "Red Dead Redemption 2" was an incredibly well-crafted game. I wanted to talk about it with someone, so I convinced my editor and other mangaka to buy it too. [I liked it] so much. I'm grateful that such a game exists.

-         It was right up your alley in terms of preferences.

Kui:      To be honest, at first, it felt a bit "meh." Not being able to run in the camp, the animations for picking things up or skinning animals, all these little things annoyed me a bit. I wondered if sacrificing playability for realism was just the creators imposing their preferences. However, as I played more and more, I noticed the NPCs changing their actions according to their schedule, finishing their meals properly and the protagonist getting progressively dirtier... All these accumulated details led to an extraordinary sense of immersion. Besides that, the story was good, and the music was wonderful too. It was clear that a huge budget and a large team were involved, and ultimately, I played the game in awe of the high level of its ambition. While there are differences in the creation process between games and manga, and therefore making it hard to imitate, it made me reflect on my own approach to creativity.

-         Have you played any other big, content-rich games?

Kui:      Talking about a recent game, "Starfield" was interesting. Since I played it without any prior information, I didn't understand the controls at first. But as I continued playing, I became engrossed in the very familiar Bethesda-Softworks-feel. Bethesda games are always open-handed and have a [certain] charm.

-         You don’t play many so-called games for all ages, that is games one can enjoy with their family?

Kui:      I do play the ones that catch my interest. I played "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" and "Tears of the Kingdom" as well. When "Breath of the Wild" was released, it was quite difficult to buy a Nintendo Switch, so my editor for Dungeon Meshi said I should play it and lent me his console and the game.

-         Speaking of big titles, "Cyberpunk 2077" is also listed as one of your favourite games.

Kui:      I had been interested in it since the teaser trailer was released in 2013. Later, in 2015, "The Witcher 3" was released and it was really great. I thought, "CD PROJEKT RED is amazing, if they're making [“Cyberpunk 2077”], it can't go wrong." The [Japanese] localisation of "The Witcher 3" was truly meticulous and wonderful. I was impressed, thinking that this localisation wasn’t something than can just be done with translators’ skills, but needs the active cooperation of the development company. "Cyberpunk 2077" was also really amazing. The DLC was interesting too, and it became one of my favourite works.

Top-down perspective games make it easier to immerse oneself in their world

-         It seems "Disco Elysium" was so fun for you that it got a 超 *chō* remark [in the list sent by your editor (*chō* meaning ultra, hyper etc; that is, she likes it very much].

Kui:      I like top-down, text-based games the most. I'm not very interested in combat [-focused games] though. "Disco Elysium" doesn't have any combat to begin with, and its story is intriguing, with charming character interactions. It was a type of game I had never played before, and adding to that it is a top-down, text-based [game]... Everything matching my preferences, [made] it a very enjoyable game for me.

I like games that don’t just include character dialogues but descriptions of sceneries and monologues too

Kui:      It had been a hot topic overseas for a long time, but because of the large amount of text and me thinking it was unlikely to ever be translated into Japanese, I gave the oversea’s [English, I assume] version a go. However, I found it quite difficult. Then, Spike Chunsoft localised it [into Japanese]. I was so happy.

-         Speaking of top-down fantasy RPGs, there's also the "Baldur's Gate" series. The latest installment, "Baldur's Gate 3," was also localised and released by Spike Chunsoft.

Kui:      "Baldur's Gate’s” first two installments were one of the games I played for the [research for my] serialisation [of Dungeon Meshi]. I was surprised to hear that  Larian Studios, from which I also played the "Divinity" series [of course, for research purposes], acquired the license [of BG] and were making the latest installment. When the early access version for PC was released with the first chapter, I played it right away, but as expected, I found it difficult to concentrate on the story in English. However, when I heard a Japanese version was coming out, I was like: "Thank you as always, Spachun-san [cute nickname for Spike Chunsoft]!" If games like these sell well, it makes me happy because it could lead to the localisation of other titles, like "Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous"...

-         What is the reason you like top-down perspective [games] in the first place?

Kui:      I like them because they often include descriptive text. It's not just about character dialogue; I enjoy the inclusion of description of sceneries and monologues too. When there's descriptive text, even when the graphics are slightly rough, it allows me to feel things like the wind or smell and supplements the subtle behaviours of other characters. It makes it easier to immerse myself in the world when there is a description like, that cave is dark and damp, or a description of the nuanced behaviour or state of mind of the characters.

-         The broader the perspective, the greater the imagination, probably.

Kui:      Games like that also offer many choices. Seeing the consequences of your own choices makes you feel more involved in that world. For instance, being disliked by your companions and them leaving you (laughs). I think this interaction is the wonderful aspect of games that manga and movies cannot replicate.

-         You seem to enjoy a wide range of genres. Where do you get your information about them?

Kui:      I check game media and official websites. I look into games that people say are interesting or those that are localised in Japanese. When I want to know the release date of a specific game, I also check social media.

-         It seems you also enjoyed "Unpacking" and "House Flipper." Do you like games that involve neatly arranging items and tidying up?

Kui:      I do enjoy cleaning games. Recently, "Unpacking" was great because just neatly arranging items sparked my imagination. As you sort [the items], you start to be able to guess the personality of the room's owner. It’s meticulously crafted with attention to detail. Before its release, I was intrigued when I heard that it is a game about organizing items, and when I tried it out, I really liked the sound effects, and it was much more fun than I expected it to be. As long as you don't put items in the wrong rooms, there aren’t really many correct or wrong places to put them, so you can create your ideal layout. After you finish arranging everything, you can watch an animation of your playthrough. I’d sip tea watching [the replay] and think, "This room really is wonderful" (laughs). There are no plans for a sequel, but I would love to play one.

-         Do you also sip tea while admiring the rooms you create in "House Flipper"?

Kui:      In "House Flipper," the cleaning part is particularly enjoyable for me, so I often just place the required furniture half-mindedly. Cleaning up all the dirt brings me a sense of calm. I'm also playing "House Flipper 2," and it's just as fun.

Depiction in "Wizardry 6" enabled me to enjoy the feeling of exploration

-         The genre changes a bit; "Return of the Obra Dinn" is also listed as a favourite game.

Kui:      The game "Papers, Please" created by the developer Lucas Pope was the first title I played and recognized as an indie game. It is profoundly memorable for me​ and I was really looking forward to the new work. And as I thought, "Obra Dinn" was also fun. The music is good, its got an atmosphere and the puzzles were just right.

-         I certainly was surprised by the animation that flowed smoothly with sketching-like graphics.

Kui:      In 2014, when the demo version was released, I was wondering what kind of game it would turn out to be. The final product was really interesting.

-         Picking up the heavily interactive adventure game "Immortality" appears to be for the same reasons, correct? It seems you also enjoyed "Her Story," another creation by the same developer, Sam Barlow, where the story unfolds through video and changes based on player choices.

Kui:      Both games were quite interesting. I was taken on unexpected journeys, with a mysterious touch. Their structure of interacting with live-action videos blurred the line between reality and the game, creating a strange sensation. It was chilling to be stared at by characters within the video. It was a powerful experience.

-         You seem to enjoy works where the story changes based on player intervention.

Kui:      It simply makes me happy when I see the consequences of my own choices.

-         Since the serialization of Dungeon Meshi began and you started doing research on games, what game would you say has influenced your own story?

Kui:      About that, although it's not a recent game, it is probably "Wizardry 6". In it, there's a pen named Cosmic Forge that turns whatever is written with it into reality. Long ago, this pen was contended over by a king and an evil sorcerer, leading to the destruction of an ancient castle. Now, new adventurers have infiltrated this castle... And that’s how the story goes. I got excited just by these few sentences. As NES became Super NES, graphics evolved too; the details like dust accumulating, broken furniture etc. were so well depicted. You could really enjoy the feeling of exploration. That is when I thought, "If I could draw stories and drawings like this…"

Dungeon Meshi started with the desire to depict the parts that are omitted in games

I felt embarrassed when the lines I wrote got performed by the voice actors (laughs)

-         Dungeon Meshi is being adapted into an anime and is currently airing to great acclaim. The anime is handled by TRIGGER, the same studio that created "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners," which is based on the "Cyberpunk 2077" a game that you also love.

Kui:      Regarding "Edgerunners," when I heard that this game I like is getting an anime adaptation, I was worried about watching it, thinking, "What if it's not the Night City I love?". However, when I mustered up the courage to watch it, I found that it [meshed] both the essence of "Cyberpunk 2077" and the unique style of TRIGGER very well.

-         Have you seen the completed version of the Dungeon Meshi anime?

Kui:      I haven't properly watched it yet (the interview was conducted in December 2023), but I had the opportunity to observe the voice recording sessions. It was really amazing, but I felt embarrassed hearing the voice actors bring so much emotion to the lines I wrote… Senbongi Ayaka’s [should be Sayaka, probably a spelling mistake] screams as Marcille were fantastic, but somehow it made me want to run away out of embarrassment. If it weren't my own work, I would have been able to enjoy it wholeheartedly. As for the production, I made a few requests on how I wanted certain things done, but for the most part, I've left it to TRIGGER-san.

-         As a game fan, it's also fascinating that the music for the anime is being handled by Mitsuda Yasunori, who has composed music for many games.

Kui:      I played "Chrono Cross" after I got my parents to buy the game for me. The opening song and graphics were so amazing that I watched them on repeat. Knowing that Mitsuda-san is in charge of the music for the anime is deeply moving for me.

-         The original series concluded with the 14th volume, and the sketchbook "Daydream Hour" was also published. Once things settle down, you'll probably have some time to thoroughly enjoy playing games. Are there any titles you're particularly looking forward to in 2024?

Kui:      I enjoyed "Cloudpunk," so I'm looking forward to "Nivalis" in 2024, although I'm not sure if it's coming out then [both games have the same German developer Ion Land, still not published as of 1. July 2024]. I'm also excited about "Avowed" [also not released].

-         As a gamer, I can't help but fantasise about a Dungeon Meshi game being made.

Kui:      In games, eating is often reduced to a task for buffs or debuffs, which tends to make it feel tedious. If it were made into a game, it would need to make this aspect interesting. However, I started Dungeon Meshi wanting to depict the parts that games typically omit, so developing a game based on it would indeed be quite challenging.

-         If it were a hardcore "Wizardry"-style game, what would you do?

Kui:      Play from Laios's point of view. Not eating means death. It sounds like it would be fun to play (laughs).

Other recommended games:

Some of them were also in the interview, but the list of games that Kui-sensei enjoys that we got beforehand [from her editor] is quite vast. Excluding titles illustrated on page 23 like "The Elder Scrolls" [Skyrim, because Ancano, that Thalmor bastard in the College of Winterhold’s questline, was depicted on the page 23] "Dragon Age," "Pillars of Eternity," and the "Pathfinder" series, here are just a few selected titles we didn't have time to delve into during the interview! If any of these catch your interest, feel free to investigate them further.

2064: Read Only Memories

Life Is Strange: Before the Storm

Mice and Sand Revised

Kingdom Come：Deliverance

Gorogoa

Detroit: Become Human

Crossing Souls

My Time at Portia

Tyranny

Sorcery! Parts 1 and 2

Marvel's Spider-Man

Vampyr

Dragon Quest Builders 2

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Another World

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit

Space Haven

Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition

Songs of Syx

Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG

Inscryption

Triangle Strategy

Two-Point Campus

Superliminal

Expeditions: Rome

Stacklands

PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo

Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood

Scene Investigators

Chicken Police

[andaisq]

“Misunderstandings,” from Terrarium in Drawer, Ryoko Kui

if y’all like dungeon meshi... you should also check out terrarium in drawer. it is Peak Kui

[tamarakko]

Terrarium in Drawer (Ryoko Kui)

[hikikomoriheadphonegirl]

[manga-screens]

Today’s Manga Screen of the day is brought to you by;

You don’t even know....

[semi-imaginary-place]

went manga oneshot divng again

you can really see that kui sensei (dungeon meshi) is an ideas person in her anthology Hikidashi ni Terrarium. i didnt finish it so i'll get back to this. you never know what to expect next only that it will be conceptually interesting! i really want to play a ttrpg with her now.... i am unworthy...

im on ichikawa withdrawl with the hnk hiatus so i read her work ouji no himitsu. gotta love that ichikawa absurdism. actually her and kuu are both pretty absurdist

echoes by ayumi aparently got a reboot that is still ongoing as break the border i hope an english translation comes out eventually.

i tag scrolled on baka's (good ol trusty bakamangaupdates) trans tags and came across one i had seen some years ago and ah yes i remember why i stopped reading that one, theres nothing necessarily bad with hentai authors but...... it is a sign to keep expections low sakura-chan to amane-kun is kinda weird about its genderqueer characters. its not bad.... its just not good. also clearly written by a cis person.

niku wo hagu: at first i was worried the author was going to fetishize the transmale protagonist like a certain other series i wont mention (partly because i dont remember the title. clockwork...?) but i was pleasantly suprised with this one. its a good one. yikes chiaki you need mods to filter those comments, please take care of your mental health and dont have disturbing comments read out loud. on one hand streaming to his old account and pointing a gun at the camera has such bde. i was half expecting chiaki to shoot the camera and end his channel that way. if the audience for the old account was filled with trash, chiaki may have been better off starting a new account. but theres also something there of forcing his audience to confront that he's a man. at the center of this work is the relationship chiaki has with his father. with his father's caner diagnosis and refusal of treatment, chiaki must grapple with his father's impending death, a father who has never accepted chiaki as male. they love each other but each has skewed expectations on what would make the other happy. deeply affected by the death of his wife, the dad has clung to the traditional (and misogynistic) belief that a women finds happiness is marriage (to a man), chiaki meanwhile in the short time he has left with his dad only wants to his dad happy along those same lines even being willing to stage a fake marriage. is only when chiaki takes intiative for his happiness and clearly communicates that he's trans that things fall into place since what his dad actually wanted was for chaki to be happy. shoutout to chiaki's doctor too. oh yeah warning for depictions of butchery like cutting up the body of an aminal for meat. highly recommend this work.

next i checked back in with boys run the riot. i remember the series made it on my radar when the first chapter came out and i had a lukewarm response. reading more its a pretty good series tho not sure its my thing. "quit school jk not really and join my fashion brand". one thing i found a bit odd were how ryo's eyelashes are highlighted in the artstyle when the only other characters to have prominant lashes were female or wearing makeup. im not sure what to make of this artstyle/character design choice.

lastly i checked in on hideyoshico who has penned several works that I've enjoyed and glad to see them active again. they dropped off the radar back in like 2013 but it seems none of their recent stuff is translated i hope someone picks them up eventually.

well actually let me talk about a couple of mature content works. viewer discretion is advised. est em is fairly well known, her works have a very distinct atmosphere that is instantly recognizable. if you go searching for est ems's works just be wary of the content... like just all of the content warnings. all of them. like others including several webcomic artists equus left a lasting impression on me although hatarake kentarous is my favorite (you know, the only one that doesnt need content warnings). and she hasnt released anything in years, i wonder whats she's doing these days, get a different job... hmm. i came across blood sugar sex and magic by accident but the author writes such a compelling character dynamic between the main duo which culminates in a scene of genuine connection. but hooboy does this one have all the mature content in it from explicit sexual content, to illegal street drug usage, to organized crime, and all with minors. yikes. this author has also stopped drawing manga.

[peerless-cucumber]

Terrarium in Drawer Ch. 30 - Drawer

[goodmangacovers]

Hikidashi ni Terrarium, Ryoko Kui (Mar 2013)

[mangacoverdesign]

⌈Hikidashi ni Terrarium⌋ by Kui Ryoko

[hikikomoriheadphonegirl]

[mangaist]

[deadscanlations]

Hikidashi ni Terrarium - Kui Ryoko

Fantasy volume, nominated for the 7th annual Manga Taishou Award. Full version of the cover (stitch) here.

ひきだしにテラリウム / 九井諒子

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[laikagohome]

a splash page from hikidashi ni terrarium by kui ryouko

[ljaesch]

10 Titles Nominated for the Seventh Manga Taisho Awards

The executive committee for the seventh Manga Taisho awards has announced this year’s 10 nominated works:

Ashizuri Suizokukan by panpanya

Ajin by Gamon Sakurai

A Bride’s Story by Kaoru Mori

Sakamoto desu ga? by Nami Sano

Sayonara, Tama-chanby Kazuyoshi…

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