#chekhov reads dungeon meshi

[thechekhov]

prettiest art/page from dungeon meshi so far, first thing that comes to mind, don't think, go! also, lol at making chilchuck the leader of the party, i approve !

Honestly, if you ask me not to think, then what's gonna come to mind is this:

[thechekhov]

Chekhov Reads Dungeon Meshi: CH49

Mmmmmbig chicken.

It's not non-sense, it's common-sense. But dang, orcs really have that toxic adventuring gender stuff down, huh.

Dwarves are comprised of many basic shapes, such as...... cube....and.......two circle.....

.....It's..........TURNING into a dungeon.

Like an architectural structure has a natural evolutionary progression, including, apparently, becoming a dungeon if enough magic leaks into it? This is fascinating. Like magical radiation that poisons the natural architecture and creates monsters. That's fucked up.

But I need to know more immediately.

Though wait, I think Marcille's flashback chapters talked about creating and maintaining dungeons so it MUST be a well understood phenomenon.

It's a small detail, but the group having a horse (pony?) with them and Senshi later getting attached to a horse-like monster feels extremely intentional. I wonder if it'll be explicitly mentioned or if I'm just reading too much into things.

......Anne was the name of the Kelpie. :( That's 100% of purpose. Oh no. Why do you do this to me.

....aaaand that's where Senshi's strong parental instincts kick in.

................................ damn, poor kid.

Dwarves are tough. A part of me wonders if that guy was hanging on to whatever life he had left, just barely making it through to feed Senshi........ A walking corpse, by all other names, hanging on for the sake of it.

It's really cool to see Senshi grow so much in the span of a few panels. And the orcs softening up is such a common theme it's not even surprising.

Oh.

OH.

Oh no.

He's a fucking idiot but it's like. Healing? How stupid he is.

It's a level of not giving a fuck that you can aspire to.

Marcille like "let me see if I can get you an itemized list....."

Laios pls.

This boy is Sherlocking the fuck out of SOMETHING but I can't tell what.

Laios is an unstoppable force. He does not give a fuck.

But also. Hippogriff?

You're telling me a shroom mushed this Hippogriffin?

Okay, but seriously. "Step into the magic mushroom circle to clip through the floor and break your model by downloading a new unapproved mod" sounds JUST like something the dungeon would have.

well hey! The kick had a reasoning behind it!

humans: we wanna unlock the secrets of genome editing!

Mushroom CRISPR:

okay why is this genuinely getting to me.

(;´༎ຶД༎ຶ`)

Bro. I love them.

AAAAA NOT THROUGH THE GENE EDITING CIRCLE

[thechekhov]

Chekhov Reads Dungeon Meshi: CH52

Everyone else: surrounded by at least family or friends.

Senshi: just me and my trusty frying pan

இ௰இ

I feel like Kui-san created the perfect explanation for the artistic whim of 'I wanna draw high fantasy.... or maybe horror.... hmm.... and now I wanna draw cookbooks. And now I wanna draw steampunk!' and just made it work for her.

Queen shit, honestly.

Wow, dwarves are way more uptight than I thought. No drinking in the trolley?!

It's YOUR turn on the backstory, Laios.

Laios going into the military and then immediately backing out with a 'thanks but no thanks' is very... Laios.

He's also suddenly emaciated. This feels like there's parts being left out.

and ALSO why is Falin here???? Oh wait it's just another person.

.......so Falin was at the academy until her brother showed up and then ALSO DESERTED????? She didn't even graduate or anything? She just noped out one day???????

Marcille heart attack in 3.... 2....... 1................

"You literally came by and STOLE my girlfriend from school!"

Senshi you..... you literally almost died of starvation in a dungeon due to lack of planning and then just did Whatever and got by. 😂

Laios, did you leave your baby sister behind because the people were dicks? Is this just Laios telling it badly, or was he just a kid dealing with it badly?

And WHERE ARE THE PARENTS, WHY IS SHE EATING ALONE.

For being a fantasy manga, this has incredibly modern social issues.

Or maybe the issues in question are just timeless.

AAAAA MARCILLE WERE YOU LISTENING

The horrified, stupid feeling of realization when you're a little bit of an asshole, but not on purpose - just out of ignorance. Oooooh godddds, this is so real. This is so REAL!

It's so dumb how human this manga is. I love it.

...th...this metaphor may be getting a bit out of hand...... is it really as simple as eggs on bacon...????

okay............where are you going with this.......?

MmmmmHMMMM. I see. Hmmm. Interesting. HmmMMM. I....okay.

no, no, he's got a point.

But actually, was IS the plan here? He says that as though it's a workable plan but.

Is the idea to just.... eat Falin's non-human parts??? That's most of her. Up to her neck. You have, what, a neck and a head? Are you working under the assumption that there's more human parts buried in dragon meat? You're working under the assumption that she hasn't become the dragon as much as it became her.

Idk, man. It all feels very....... raw.

But I'm sure it'll work out EXACTLY like this.

Get your knife and fork, Kabru. You've been formally invited to dine on the body of Laios' sister who killed you once.

[thechekhov]

Chekhov Reads Dungeon Meshi: CH51

Senshi. That's all. Just Senshi.

Oh how the turns have tabled.

Makes sense that he would be the one worried about something like that, since Halflings only live to.... what, 50 on average? But humans are given a 60 average. So it's not that huge of a change for him.

I. I love how much this manga like.... ties everything together.

At first this really feels like a silly one-off monster that almost literally comes out of nowhere. But then you come to this point, and it IS relevant! It's all about change, about transformation. That is SO COOL to see!

That all makes sense to me, I see no flaws with this plan.

Chillchuck, you really just wanted to see how crazy of an idea Laios would come up with, right?

Zero of these options include returning her completely to normal, huh? 😂 I mean, sure, the mushrooms can't change things COMPLETELY but that's still-- I feel like that's still more realistic than hoping to make her live among humans as a velociraptor.

These things can wield weapons?! Bruh.

Cuttin' it kinda close, guys.

Wait, does it change based on who's wielding it?! Does that mean Laios was somehow making it become the winged lion???

Or.....that.

The fact that Laios let go when she was in pain and Izutsumi didn't.... 😂

Rare Chillios moment.

...lol. That's only the second time I've seen him so mad.

Damn, the dispersal theory? That honestly makes so much sense.

I hope Laios writes a book.

Incredible panel, 10/10

Damn, that's a straight up improvement in my book!

Poor Senshi can't get a break.

Absolutely bonkers.

Wow, Chillchuck. Did you not get along with Namari? Just asking.

Okay but. Changeling sword! Changeling swooooord!!!! Let him keep it, come ooonnnnnnn!!!!

[thechekhov]

Dungeon Meshi Quick Reacts: CH40

Laios is apparently only good at drawing monsters.

You guys have no faith in him! Come onnnn

To that point, if the shapeshifters that are left are the most similar to the real selves, doesn't that prove that Laios actually knows them best? The other, easily-discounted shapeshifters were easily singled out as fakes because they were so caricature like.

The remaining fakes are just minutely different from the real selves. Chilchuk has slightly larger eyes, Marcille's hair is thinner, and Senshi has sharper features. What that says to me is that Laios is actually the BEST at reconstructing them in his mind.

Unfortunately, that. Kinda makes it harder.

Welll.......yeah. No, that makes sense.

This is a problem you all created 😂

This is legitimately making me question everything. Because like... Marcille A is acting pretty sus. But they've been through a lot, so maybe she's just depressed?

Oooooooh someone minmaxed into gayness. That's certainly a dependable strategy.

FAKE!!!!! He's the fake! Senshi would never deplete an ecosystem completely like that!!!!

ah yes, all sorts of nutrition. White rice is known for its nutrition like...... (looks at smeared writing on hand) carbohydrates and scant amounts of folates. Yep.

HE IS HANDSOME, BUT NOT "B"!! "A" IS ALSO HANDSOME!! THEY'RE BOTH HANDSOME!

.......guys. GUYYS.

Laios, you're such an absolute loser and I love you but please. Please turn on the autism. Just this once, please turn on the autism beam and point it at your friends. Please

"all of them! Everyone is fake! Including me!"

Wouldn't that be a plot twist.

why are both the chillchucks upset at this suggestion? shouldn't the real ones be relieved?

Illusions with physical traits, though? Is that not obvious once you start roughing it up with it? If something can be physical enough to fight, why not just use that thing to overpower the adventurer, then?

....so it's a vampire created illusion?

Okay, so because I saw someone else post this page to my dash about a week ago I'm actually fully aware of what comes next, and I can say with certainty that it does not ruin it. At all.

I gotta say, as a weird little kid that practiced barking like a dog and mimicking dog howls, this is making me feel SO SEEN. He's just like me fr.

And the fact that they're all supporting his talent........friendship is magic.

I'm so intrigued by this man and how his mind works.

Love is not letting your dumbass furry friend climb into the wolf enclosure at the zoo and try to fight the alpha of the pack.

This is. So real. I've never seen a manga commit SO MUCH to the weird little man trope, and I love Kui-san so much for this. This is true representation.

Dumbass recognizes dumbass. This is why they're friends.

I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THAT. I also didn't remember it!

Oh, hmm.....

I'm relatively certain the hand that Marcille grasped in the last chapter WAS the cat's hand. That means the cat followed them - but because no one knew she was there, the shapeshifter didn't create any illusions of her. That means she was just hiding out, observing everything.

Is she just sleeping in there curled up on the rice?

Ahhh, so it was a distraction.

[thechekhov]

Dungeon Meshi Quick Reacts: CH36

Time find out just how fucked up Toshiro got.

Hey Kabru. Chill.

That sure is a normal look to give your team mate. I'm sure you're a normal, well adjusted leader who understands when you step out of bounds.

Bold of you to assume they even care. They're too caught up in the plot of the second arc to even remember you...

So much to question here. The fact that Toshiro has retainers. The fact that they're all mildly bored. The fact that Marcille seems to hate it here. Marcille, hello??? Are you only interested in Falin? Do you just hate people that aren't her?

The fact that she's still wearing the frog costume makes this panel, honestly. What a legend.

This is so wholesome. Laios just decided to therapy this workaholic man all on his own, dangit. If he won't do it, who will? Senshi must be so proud.

Hang on, I just realized--.....is that.

Is that the cat girl...?!!? That I've been seeing? I thought it was just a hat at first, but those are ears, aren't they?! Is she the one that eventually joins the party?

Marcille, you're a beautiful frog woman to me.

If I didn't know that Chillchuck is a dad already, I would have known it at this point. What a thing to say. "oh no, which one of these kids grown men is going to cause more trouble if left unattended"

I'm sure that's fine.

...........

But when you put it that way, it seems a little.... simple?

Kabru is beginning to suspect he's in the wrong class.

"Ah yes, a little freak that scuttles around from paintings to reality and speaks in archaic and mysterious tones. GOTTA be a Sorcerer. And hella mad, too!"

The math checks out, your honor.

Her best, Karbohydrate. She did her best.

Oh Laios, you're a hoot.

Kabru, you literally said Laios is a terrible liar three seconds ago. Maybe be a little less obvious? 😂

...you've done this to yourself, mate.

Okay, you know what. I take it back. I still don't like Kabru but watching him suffer IS supremely entertaining.

Okay, I can see how he might jump to the wrong conclusions here. They did not, in fact, eat the orcs.....

Orcs are duty bound to slap ya upside the head.

I love how genuinely patient Senshi is, and how good he is at listening. Chillchuck was worried but he's just vibing with new friends.

I'm sure they're having a grand old time.

What do those ears do, hmmm?

I enjoy the fact that he says "they're all treated as heinous criminals" instead of passing moral judgement and saying 'they're beyond reproach' or the like. He knows the consequences, and remarks not at all on whether or not he agrees with the judgement itself.

I could also draw some parallels here about how Japan treats all drugs but. Well. That's another topic.

Oh, noooo. As opposed to that other way of dying, where your corpse is dragged about in a carnival fashion after you die, to dry up in the light of day forever after.

Oh wait.

This bitch is really only here for the drama. 😅

FALIN?!?!?!?! MY GIRL

WHY THE LONG......body...?

....................cool. Cool cool cool cool cool. Alright. Okay okay okay. Alright.

[thechekhov]

Dungeon Meshi Quick Reacts: CH42

Who is that. Is that Marcille? It doesn't look like Marcille. Why her ears so small.

why is this alternate-universe man struggling with so many modern day issues, like his parents pestering him to have kids? We came so far... but in the end.... we never left.

DAMN, GET OFF HIS ASS! I know it must be a dream but damn. You don't have to do the poor boy like this! He's doing his best!

We all need friends like this that will just wrestle you into bed.

.......is the idea that you can enter someone's dream as easily as just sleeping on them? Just physical contact? Damn. Free MMO VR experience.

Ah yes. Because really, what ELSE would you use lucid dreaming for, if not this?

Someone who's never read Dungeon Meshi explain what's going on in these panels.

Not gonna lie, I'm a huge sucker for weird liminal spaces like these. I know they're meant to freak people out but they have the opposite effect on me. This is peak mental stimulation.

IT'S A BABY MARCILLE????!?? AOOUUUGUGUHUGHU LOOKIT HER

Me and Laios: ah, yes, Marcille's family is a polycule, confirmed. This is surely the way it's meant to be taken.

oh, that's. hm.

Ahhh, poor kid! She's so terrified, and even though she doesn't recognize Laios, she knows he's a friend. Damn, I really love the fact that, despite often arguing with him, Marcille and Laios are actually genuinely close friends.

WEE WOO WEE WOO THAT'S NOT GOOD.

I just realized her doll looks like Falin!!! Will the wonders never cease!!

Oh! It's the guilt! :D Her real source of fear is the crushing guilt of having resurrected her girlfriend and accidentally siphoning away her humanity!

.........hang on. If it's not monsters OR death that Marcille is scared of.... is it possible that she's scared of... other people dying before she does?

She's an elf, right? Or a half elf, if the people who spoiled that reveal for me have spoiled it correctly. That means she'll probably out-last her friends. Is THAT the fear?

...or did he.

You can do what????? Use ancient magic to reverse the aging of your loved ones?!?!

That eye is the same as that of the elf, huh.

Yeah girl, you show that thing. Bonk it with the wizard's spellbook.

👏let 👏 her 👏 sleep!

Y'all got. CLAMS? In your. PILLWS?

......Y';ALL GOT PILLOWS? IN THE DUNGEON??

... the internal monologue of a cat who will continue to be too lazy to move for the next 15 hours.

OH!!!! HIM!!!!!!

(❁´◡`❁)

Listen. You don't choose your fursona. Your fursona chooses you.

[thechekhov]

Dungeon Meshi Quick Reacts: CH45

Slumber party!

Fair, but consider: She deserves a little murder. As a treat.

Kabru be like "IS THAT MY BACKSTORY???"

That sure is....a ship. With no one on it.

Ah, shit the Americans are here.

Two things: Toshiro being tended to like a pretty pretty princess is hilarious.

And also, the fact that they think the elves can kill Falin......... hmmm.... Pressing X to doubt.

............... oh. Laios. 😂

But also like. How was he MEANT to keep it silent? Put a little something in it? I thought since it was a magic bell you could code it to only ring when it's shaken with INTENT?

Fancy ass house.

Also, Namari...........are you hitting that yet? Both of that?

Oh, it's backstory time.

Okay one: that's fucking tragic, it sounds like the Elves are just forcing the dungeons closed with no regard for how the ecosystem compensates and what people suffer by being in close proximity......

And another thing: Kabru. Kabru, isn't that what YOU'RE after? Having all the power?

Why is this so much like that one meme where the girls at the party are looking at you.

It's the same picture.

Kabru that's. That's maybe not the way to go about it. you're going to give them MORE reasons to go in.

Nevermind the governor not being into this 'good boy, now sign' talk, Toshiro's kinda right. Ya fucked up Kabru.

No matter how far Laios runs, he cannot escape other people trying to tell him how to live his life. Poor guy. But at the same time...

Is this real? Or a red herring?

Laios' father and mother seemed to be living relatively pious lives. They clearly had a good house, but it didn't seem like they were extremely rich. Then again, perhaps he's just a cousin of royalty? Is that why his parents wanted him to have children?

They want to.... halt the growth of the dungeon? Is this another part of the natural ecosystem of things? Dungeons growing seems to point even more towards the idea that it's a gigantic, fleshpit-like creature instead of simply a construct.

Then again, constructs CAN be creatures. Like the golems.

Elves not understanding how old humans are continues to be hilarious because like.

As humans, we HAVE this same concept of variant aging. Like. Dogs. We understand that dogs live less than us, and mature a lot slower. But this is.... COMMON KNOWLEDGE. Most people do not make it into adulthood without understanding that dogs mature within 1-2 years of their birth.

The fact that elves, a species with FAR more time on their hands, who have lived alongside other races for AGES....... have STILL not got the general concept of aging down....means their education is atrocious. Or they're all not paying attention.

.......this. THIS is the most fascinating concept in this chapter.

The fallen.... turned into MONSTERS.

We know that dying inside the dungeon doesn't mean permanent death. But dying above-ground does.

We know that dying in the dungeon doesn't mean your body turns into a monster (aside from ghosts and ghouls?) ..... but dying aboveground.... DOES......?

WHAT'S THE TRUTH.

👁👁

Hm.

If Kabru and Laios fused, they could almost make one functioning human being.

Senshi just beginning to speak in the middle of his own internal monologue is so real.

...... what's going on there with the expression, buddy?

Bread.......are they STILL carrying around flour with them?! How are they getting bread?!

Also, it's awesome that the eggs are canonically hard to crack, because it makes sense that they don't break during their many fighting events.

Izutsumi really said ◉_◉

Don't tell me Laios, who is sensitive to ghosts has ALSO been seeing things?

Not gonna lie, that's highkey terrifying.

Props to that ghost that's been following Laios around, not ever giving up hope that it can bother him into acknowledging it.

And also - hey, it already saved them once! that means it's probably not evil!

That, or it's the king of the bloody dungeon. Wouldn't that be something!

[thechekhov]

Dungeon Meshi Quick Reacts: CH39

"Shapeshifter?" I barely know 'er!

Don't worry! I think that's the way to the children's hospital!

Oh, it's SNOW! And here I thought it was viscera. Great news!

Don't you hate it when your siblings borrow your clothes, transform into a dragon chimera and then rip their way dramatically out of them to reinforce their final transformation from a familiar human person to an unfeeling monster?

I find it oddly sweet that he's worried for this giant, murderous, monster sister. She's huge, Laios. She's got more than feathers. She's got magic and body heat. She's fine.

This all makes sense because he saw it in those paintings but it legitimately sounds like he just pulled it out of his ass.

Idiot one, meet idiot two. You gotta love them.

Laios, your armor is going to give you frostbite.

....yeah, that's probably right. Does that look like that cat's hand?

....

Oh, hm. Well.

That guy in the top right is a little confused, but he's got the spirit.

If you're cold, they're cold. Let them inside.

No one can be as weird as the real Laios.

"I must consume" has almost got it, though. He's real close to figuring it out.

Oooh, this is fun. Like find the difference! I'm guessing the taller Senshis are from Chillchuck and someone else? Or maybe the smaller two are from Marcille and Laios, who always see him as smaller.

Marcille is definitely the most difficult one...

hair-down Marcille is definitely someone being lazy about remembering how Marcille does hair......

Whaaat? Noooo, he's fiiiine! I trust him completely!

All he has to do is think of you as monsters instead of people.

What could go wrong.

You guys were the ones who had the worst memories of what Laios actually is like.... hypocrites.

[thechekhov]

Delicious in Dungeon Quick Reacts: CH43

Ah, yes. The face of someone who goes into a disassociative state and commits atrocities.

The fun of reading Dungeon Meshi is realizing that although they're bumbling idiots, they're bumbling idiots of a relatively high level. They managed to get this deep previously!

Those are, arguably, very valuable.

Kids, kids, relax. There'll be plenty of time to murder each other with more than just your words later.

I was wondering how that water manged to stay where it did. I guess it. Didn't?

Hm. Can't farm on the back of that one, huh.

DEX 22.

STR 8.

Extremely impressed by how attractive but non sexualizing this is.

....ah, right. Laios.

Chillchuck. This entire time... did you. Did you not see Senshi take it off even once?

Jailed for his crimes of wanting to do basic science. Free him.

Marcille went Zero to Pet Owner in the span of about an hour.

Senshi has always had an I Can Fix Them energy that was more like an I Can Parent Them energy, but now that he's more or less finished with the rest of the party, he's like a listless dad looking for a new project. And apparently he's picked a really steep, uphill battle.

Awww, dadchuck is back.

And Izutsumi MIGHT be getting a bit more domesticated. Possibly. Just a bit. :)

[thechekhov]

Chekhov Reads Dungeon Meshi: CH47

I would like to thank Ryoko Kui for this.

I really love how, despite being antagonistic with Chilchuck, Izutsumi seems to like Marcille and him the best out of all the rest.

You know they're Japanese pancakes with that amount of air padding them out.... 😂

You know, it's interesting because if I remember correctly, taste is the oldest sense we have. Basic organisms surviving in water needed to be able to taste the environment in order to allow it to move away from acidic water, or dangerous environments. So it's curious that their taste is no longer working while their other senses remain.

....sounds like it was maybe less of the...power.... and maybe more of the fact that his old childhood friend was growing old?

....... y'know. Just suggesting...

To fight a trainer with a powerful pokemon, you must first capture a powerful pokemon yourself.

AIEEEEE~

I was JUST about to say "man, this kid seems to be a genuinely good leader! His people don't fear him and he has a good head on his shoulders. I sure hope nothing bad happens to him!"

And here we are.

Oooooh a forest? Or one of those water places.

Update: One of those water places. A cistern.

Her charm wore off! And now she can experience unspeakable horrors of being known in a vulnerable state.

Someone get this poor man some google maps.

Laios, why do you look.... less than thrilled with this information?

Oh, his Fixation Sense is tingling, that's why.

Oh? Rare Senshi moment of stubbornness?

Mayhaps even.... A BACKSTORY?

When the party is in Analysis Paralysis and the DM says 'roll initiative'

Marcille is taking this Crazy Future Girlfriend thing to all new highs.

Is he afraid of birds? Or lions? Or both? What is happening here? It makes no sense. It would be delicious! Senshi, stop that's like 60 kg of chicken wings, easy!

BONUS:

Here's the thing. They aren't like, twins necessarily. But I do think that Falin, while she's just as weird as Laios is, makes herself approachable to people. She cares about ghosts as beings, instead of seeing them only as a scientific anomaly.

But other than that.... honestly I feel like Toshi wouldn't fall in love with a female Laios either.

Marcille and Falin being MORE likely to go out to the dungeon as women makes sense somehow. Though I am amused at how femme-leaning all elves are naturally.

I think these gender twists are all pretty surface level but given that it's a conversation the party has in real time... I get it.

[thechekhov]

Chekhov Reads Dungeon Meshi: CH50

This has huge 'rocks fall, everyone dies' from the DM energy.

Or maybe you stepped through the mushroom DNA-shuffler circle last chapter and now your stomach is trying to digest you from the inside out.

Oh gods. He's a dwarf. They got freaky Friday'd.

............I have no comments for this. I don't know what to say.

You know. I've seen this panel many times. But for some reason I thought this was like, an omake or a side chapter.

Unless this IS a side chapter? Is it all a dream??? This IS chapter 50, right?

....yeah, Chil? You don't seem thrilled.

LMAO. The cover redraw!

And apparently Izutsumi kept her long tail.

Elf!Senshi just having magical wind in his hair the whole time is high key hilarious. Where is the breeze coming from? Maybe he's born with it.

Also, are those giant spools...?

Ahhh, right, Halflings are known for being more sensitive than the other humans.

I'm just happy he finally got his, and got to pet Marcille and Laios on the head. :)

"The ground is so far away! It's scary!" LMAO. That's real.

Laios as a Kobold. Finally, he could achieve maximum fursona.

.....ah, well--..... yeah.

Hey, it's the door!

Arriving to really important places under really silly circumstances - that's two for two. (I'm specifically talking about the frog costumes but there may be others)

...isn't this door like. Super rare? Very difficult to find?

And you're telling me some other randos have already been here and didn't even clean up?

Laios, I love you, but Chillchuck JUST told you there was no remedy that he was aware of aside from just like, forms of torture.

You're not thinking this one through, buddy.

He was hibernating.....

But actually - they DID call for the winged lion's aid, right?

GASP

What if.... Kensuke.... IS the lion!

AH SHIT. If she's a halfling, then that means she's bad with magic, right? They have low tolerance to the feedback magic gives or something? I don't remember the details now but...

Wuh-oh. (I don't think that's how agitation works in any species, but sure. For the drama.)

Why is he the only one who suffered a severe personality change...?

Apex predators need their naps.......

Sacrifices have to be made, Toshiro.

Izutsumi Got. That. Ball. Bell.

......Mechanus?

Where DID you get that from? You had one food poisoning scare, that doesn't mean it's not real!

I wish I could feel this level of peace while cooking.

Ah so.... this is not a place of honor?

It sounds like there's two cultures that got REALLY into the space race, turned a cold war into a hot one, and are now going "well, we can't have nice things because of.... us. because of us. but you all still can't have nice things!"

That might be.... a terrible idea.

[thechekhov]

As an autistic person (who is, to be honest also pretty immature) I also really related to Izutsumi. I understand that my pickiness is unreasonable but that wouldn't stop me from rather not eat that try something I don't like or not know, or that looks bad.

I think maybe we misunderstood each other a bit here.

I don't think the issue is Izutsumi not eating things.

If she simply said "I'm not eating that, I'm going to out and hunt for my own food" that would be completely understandable. Hell, even Marcille refuses to eat some of the things Senshi cooks. Not Eating Monsters is a very relatable part of this story. Most people who the party meets refuse to do that. Senshi and the guys - THEY'RE the weird ones.

In fact, in this panel, Laios is being a jerk on purpose and I'm surprised he got away with only scratches.

I joked about her eating the weird little man, but honestly? If she doesn't want to, why pester her? He was just being Laios.

And in the flashback, Izutsumi dealt with things pretty normally - just give what you don't want to eat to Tade.

No dramatics necessary! Everyone wins. She's a cat, she doesn't need leeks anyway.

But the point at which she kinda crosses a line is specifically this:

She yells at Laios about her limits - fine. A bit unnecessary, given that he's just trying to explain their situation, but whatever.

But she then puts the party in danger by going for the Barometz AND then walks away after initiating a battle, because it doesn't suit her.

The difference between what happened with the Ice Golem and now is consideration. Thinking about how your actions impact the safety of others. While Chilchuck and Izutsumi worked together to fell the golem, the others (Marcille and Senshi and Laios) didn't just wander off to look for NEW problems. They stayed nearby, presumably ready to jump in.

They also didn't split the party, forcing Marcille to give chase in order to assure Izutsumi didn't die. (Marcille is also kinda in the wrong here for leaving others, because she also endangered them, but she did it out of concern for Izutsumi.) (Also, Izutsumi would have died if Marcille hadn't followed her, so it's a fair concern.)

The issue isn't that Izutsumi cares about her own needs. That's a healthy thing that everyone should do!

The issue is that Izutsumi doesn't care about the needs of others, to the point of endangering them for very little reward to herself.

She makes no effort to....make an effort? She yells at the party when things don't go her way and demands they make unreasonable adjustments for her. It's not about when she threw away the mushrooms - like, that was funny and partially expected after Senshi got used to the others eating whatever. Though it IS wasteful....

When I say Izutsumi comes across as spoiled to me - that's NOT because of having personal preferences. She can eat whatever she wants, forever. That's a human right.

But I do think she's selfish for demanding that the world and other characters bend (unreasonably) to her will (because they're in a DUNGEON with limited resources) and make it easier for HER specifically, even though attempting to do so endangers them.

But also, as many of you have pointed out: She's not even an adult, she's 17. I assumed she was like, mid-20s, so her behavior makes a lot more sense now.

[thechekhov]

Chekhov Reads Dungeon Meshi: CH48

I KNEW in theory that they were on an island, but it's still such a huge wakeup call to realize that it's TINY and there are many more dungeons on the mainland.

Stuck between the hilarity of Senshi McGoogly Eyes being carried off by what is essentially a bird with some back legs (good thing it didn't try to gut him midair by kicking like big cats do).......... and the horror of a giant thing just carrying one of your friends off much, much faster than you can ever run.

I really love the environment here. Absolutely chilling on so many levels. Bravo.

Love that aside from Forbidden Necromancy we are now also introducing Forbidden Transmutation into the mix. That's a nice change of pace.

Marcille really is lawful evil. Like, she'll break the rules...... but only after there are solid rules to break.

...I've never caught that. I always assumed Senshi was just one of the first ones in. But the dungeon had existed for far longer. Maybe he's just been in there...... having a good time on his own? Imagine his surprise when his tunnels are suddenly filled with adventurers.

It COULD be. It could also be that he's from further away, and he came to the dungeon through tunnels, instead of up top.

THEY'RE PERFECT.

AWWW, HE ANGY.

The braincell. Is in position.

................................ Laios no. This is not the time for your sparkledog OC. Please. Laios please be serious.

Oh, he's actually being reasonable about this! :0

.....w...why was that the natural move...? Lions don't kick.... But ok I guess lmao

This feels like a conversation Kui san had with her editor.....

You just know this thing will be weird looking.

OR extremely silly. I'll take it!

Artists making the faces they draw energy.

Oh, hey that worked! But..... :( the skyfish buddy........

NOOOOOOOO HOW COULD YOU

(´。＿。｀)

I MEAN YEAH HE'S FULL OF VEGETABLES BUT--

He does look delicious, not gonna lie. And it's a Laios special!!

Are we about to have Senshi backstory for dessert?

Just drop that little tidbit at the end, yeah, go right ahead hahaha. "due to various circumstances"......... is that your work or DIVORCE?

hang on a second

SENSHI IS STEVEN UNIVERSE CONFIRMED????

Okay,I kid but. He's so young! Not even a proper dwarf yet! How old WAS he? Why go on this expedition????

I'm INTRIGUED!

[thechekhov]

Dungeon Meshi Quick Reacts

CH.30 (Good Medicine)

I kind of assumed that things would get worse from here...

...yeah, there's no 'but' to that. Getting Falin back so quick was too good to be true.

Aren't those the ghosts Falin talked to? They could be friendly.

"ee gads! a hairless little man!" I'd be frightened too if Chillchuck was suddenly behind a door I'd just opened.

Chillchuck, buddy, less than 24 hours ago you threw a knife directly into a dragon's eye. You can take care of some worgs, right?

Senshi's a card carrying member of the smells-okay-to-me-chief club.

Orcs be like 'oh, dragon's gone? Hm. Curious' and then just carry on. Wouldn't you be worried that something took out the dragon? Could be even more dangerous than the dragon itself.

I feel like at this point Falin might be just that.

MOUTH TO MOUTH RESUSCITATION!

Marcille, I don't think you have a lot of options.

......just realized those moose antlers are holding up her rack. Talk about a pushup bra. Damn. Respect.

Wait go back to that "create monsters to do their bidding" thing again. Was that the little mini dragons or does that include larger monsters like the dragon itself?!

OR something that was IN the dragon, controlling its actions and make it act irrationally? Is that why the Sorcerer wasn't surprised to see Falin as a separate thing outside the dragon? Was the assumption that whatever THING it was had escaped and become Falin?

And for all we know... it kinda had. It had merged with her spirit....

Or maybe I'm way off.

Congrats on the larger story plot! :D You're now in even more danger! Hoorah!

Chillchuck, a normal person would just go 'I'm leaving, pay me'. You're giving yourself away, worrying for them.

I can't hate him for the reasoning here. The deeper you go, the less likely you are to be found. The only person who cares enough about Marcille and Laios and Chillchuck to find their bodies are.... each other. So if they're dead here, they're likely dead-dead.

I want to nestle into her bosom and live there as a little creature.

Moreso than when she was literally in the gullet of a red dragon?! Come on, be reasonable. At least she's alive now. And remembers who she is.

Ooooh friendly ghosts. Makes sense why Falin was so chill about them.

All the more reason to believe there's something to be done!

Love the doggo yawning behind Chillchuck.

He's a coward, but being afraid isn't necessarily a sign of weakness. It's a sign that you realize how dangerous a situation is. Cowardice isn't stupidity, no more than ignorance of danger is bravery.. I think the orc leader is maybe realizing he's not doing it for completely selfish reasons. Mad respect to her though.

It WAS Falin, wasn't it? It wasn't as if it was a thing pretending to be her. She was there, and she was revived successfully, and then the soul confusion thing happened.

......damn. What a small holiday they got, before the next horrible thing happened...

hey, Marcille is not dumb! She's got loads of braincells! they're just all focused on doing evil stuff and being gay.

🎯

That's right! It's just like you, Chillchuck!

Was that... there before?

Oh, okay, no, it was. Hm.......

This stupid man is about to full a Falin and jump out a window to go look for her, isn't he.

Gods, this sucks for him so much. For all of them. Because they.... they WERE successful! They rescued Falin! They brought her back from the head! They DID that!

But now, instead of getting the reward of it, she's just gone. Is it better, because she's alive?

Or worse, because the threat is even more nebulous?

If they all died, would it be worth it?

who's the coward...? he's ready to go back.

For Falin, they went down there. They risked themselves.

For them, after talking to him only a bit, the orc leader went from 'hey, nice snack for my dog' to 'we're helping you get that girl back'.

It's about the CONNECTION!!! IT'S ABOUT HELPING EACH OTHER AFTER LEARNING TO UNDERSTAND ONE ANOTHER!!!

[thechekhov]

Chekhov Reads Dungeon Meshi: CH46

D....dark Laios?

I mean, you DID consent!

The fact that ghosts can pass through walls and take other things with them... it kind of elicits another type of organism. Like, what can pass through cell walls? What other parts of the body can just yoink stuff from one place and bring it to another?

Congrats! It's all just been a dream!

I'm sorry what the SHIT?!?!?

Well, I-- .... yeah, I GUESS.

Though it looks more like one of those carousel horses.

I think this is probably still inside the dungeon. Very... DEEP. Inside the dungeon.

What? WHAT?! These things are like regular animals down here???

Oh, I--hm. I see.

Ordered by WHOMST?

Is this just an entire society of (humans??? ghosts?) that lives here in the dungeon deep? Is there still a king under the mountain? Are the rumors of the king dying not true at all?

........or are these people and descendants of adventurers who came in but were never able to leave? And the fact that Senshi points out that none of them are old.... are they ageing?

Laios, Senshi n--...... welp. There they go.

Bless this man and his absolutely non sexual obsession with monsters. But.

Izutsumi, who is a human-level intellect beastkin (though she's low on wisdom and patience....) is being very.... beast-ly and soft here. She's being magically compelled, presumably, to chill the fuck out.

Which means all these monsters are also under the same effect? Isn't that a little fucked up? They're basically under a permanent drugged effect.

Also. Hm. 'short lifespan' is....relative. Short lifespan compared to what? Immortality?

Orcs know this place exists....?

These people planting things for fun means they're absolutely trapped here like spirits.

Keeping up appearances for. Whom.

These poor people have no new incomers to talk to, huh.

Oh, I uh---- ................ hm. THat's not at all what I was imagining either.

Fashion is cyclical after all I guess....

Mmmmm. Mmmm-hmmmMMM.

WHEEEEZXE

Knowing I've finally hit these two absolutely iconic panels... amazing.

......I guess it can only do so much to make her docile...... she still doesn't like Laios.

Why does he look familiar...?

....so Derghal had a son. And a grandson. So then why is there a bid for the throne...?

Laios. Laios, is milking the minotaur the ONLY thing you did? Or was there more to it? Laios.

It's interesting. That bartender said he was 600 when he started his now-400 year old ale. So. That means they're 1000 years old.

That means that they're about as long lived as elves? Haven't gone mad yet. But that's still a long time.

That's kinda worse, yeah, but a loss of the self is a type of death, in a way...? So....

The most throwback of all time.

Actually, I feel like that's been there for a while, although it didn't always look EXACTLY like a lion's head. I feel like the little living armor he keeps in there made it that design? But how would it do that on purpose?

this is what it looked like some chapters back. Yeah, it's been sculpting into a lion's mane for a while now.... Ohohohoh playing the long game are we? 👀

Ah, it's not a wolf. How tragic for you, Laios. It'll never work out.

Also, damn, those wings sure be lookin like Falin's very non-dragon wings. What a wild coincidence. I'm sure that doesn't mean anything. :)

laughing hysterically. This poor guy can't get a break. He's been running from responsibility and inheritance for his entire life and it still catches up and trips him purposefully.

There is definitely a certain amount of tragedy there, yeah. These people aren't asking Laios for help because it's easier. They're legitimately stuck in a nightmare scenario. Unless you're someone who can get pleasure from other avenues, living all that time without the basic needs will drive a person mad. Elves live just as long, presumably, but they're still able to eat, I assume.

I'm honestly more surprised they're all as sane as they are.

.......King of Forgor.