Author: Ryoko Kui
Genre: Gourmand Survivalist Fantasy Adventure ( I hereby decree this a genre)
Magazine: Harta
Publisher: Enterbrain
Things were going well for young adventurer Laius and his dungeon raid party… until a mighty dragon routed them and devoured his sister. Laius and his fellow party members have to hurry back into the dungeon and retrieve her before she is fully digested in order to revive her with magic. However, due to their haste, they forego getting supplies and now their only option is to try to feed on the dungeon's expansive bestiary of monsters and fiends. Luckily, they encounter a dwarf versed in the fine art of dungeon cuisine. Thus begins their daunting endeavor that is both a rescue mission and a gourmet tour.
Laius - The de facto leader of the group: a seasoned dungeon explorer and a rather skilled swordsman. He goes back into the dungeon with Marcille and Chilchuck to save his sister. He is a bit of a manchild and a massive nerd for dungeon creatures, to the point where he even wants to know what they taste like. Thus, this particular aspect of their predicament came to him as a silver lining.
Marcille - A powerful Elven sorceress. Together with Chilchuck she was one of the two members loyal enough to go back in. She plays a straight man to the group's antics and is one member who is absolutely not thrilled by the stuff she has to eat now. She is the whiner of the group, but her whining isn't unwarranted as she gets to suffer from the consequences of Laius' and Senshi's lunacy more often than not.
Chilchuck - A Hobb… sorry Halfling who specialises in trap disposal and lockpicking ( you could call him a ... master of unlocking ). Despite his youthful appearence, he's easily the most mature and professional member of the group.
Senshi - A slightly deranged dungeon-dwelling hermit Dwarf with Mr. Popo's stare. He knows all there is to know on how to make delicous, nutritous meals out of giant bats, basilisks and other spooky dungeon stuff. He values his lifestyle and distrusts magic and easy ways of getting stuff done.
A greatly entertaining, enjoyable manga. Rather than being epic or dramatic, it focuses on delightful, funny interactions between the rather likable cast and solid worldbuilding. It's adventure has a rather survivalist slant and you better damn believe Senshi can cook up something tasty looking from even the most repulsive critter.
Two complete volumes so far, this series is off to a lovely start!
