In a world full of dungeons, monsters, magic, and non-humans, Marron Glace is a surprisingly strong shield bearer whose past is as mysterious as his constantly covered face. But the most peculiar thing about him isn't how he looks or his lack of modern knowledge—it's his appetite! As much as everyone else is disgusted, Marron is just as shocked to find that he can only stomach food made from monsters. Now, aside from his face, his penchant for monster meals is just one more thing to uncover.

Dungeon Gourmet has story by Kanojyo and art by NaJungyoung, based on a work by Battalion member. English localization is done by Tapas Entertainment. Published by Tapas. Rated OT.

Erica Friedman
Rating:

I won't say food in a dungeon is an overplayed subgenre. There are many very fun, interesting, and clever series with that premise— and I am following a few long after I wrote a review for them for the guide. Dungeon Gourmet is not a terrible comic, but it is telegraphing its reveals so often and so obviously that it feels like the author thinks we're not very intelligent.

It is instantly apparent that 1) Marron Glace has something to hide and therefore wears a helmet all the time, even while sleeping, and 2) Marron Glace cannot eat the world's food. By about halfway through the first chapter, I had guessed the reasons for both those things (I expect you probably did as well, just reading this sentence).

Luckily, there are some other things to hold on to. The humans in this series are known for their ill treatment of other species and are therefore not the good guys. As a human, this makes Marron literally persona non grata when he is paired up with an elf. Despite their uncomfortable pairing, Marron's power makes an impact. Then the story adds one more thing to make Marron an outcast, setting events into play.

None of this is bad or poorly written or drawn. Equally, none of this is compelling. Marron is, for perfectly valid reasons, a bit of a bore. Every time Marron tries to share monster meat with someone, they react with open disgust, making Marron's one pleasure in life a lonely pursuit. You can't blame his party members – Marron tends to leave body parts whole in the pot, and monster heads nearby on the ground, watching.

I read through chapter 12, where Marron does, finally, manage to make a party with some interesting characters, including the elf that initially hated him, so perhaps as the story develops, Marron's secrets will come out, and the past will be purged. I'm torn if it worth continuing to read to find out what those (obvious) secrets are.