Which Anime Adapts Delicious Monsters And Who Leads Production?

I get a little giddy picturing a cooking show where the guest is a basilisk. The anime adaptation people talk about is 'Dungeon Meshi' (also marketed as 'Delicious in Dungeon'), and the animation lead comes from Studio Trigger, working within a larger production committee that handles the rest. That studio’s knack for punchy animation and expressive characters could make the monster-cooking scenes pop in delightful, unexpected ways.

What drew me to the manga is how it treats food as worldbuilding: what a species eats, how it’s prepared, and what it tastes like all tell you about the world. If Trigger leans into texture and color the way they often do, every dish could become a mini-story beat. I’m hoping the soundtrack picks up on the cozy-campfire vibe when they’re sharing meals and switches to playful peril when hunting ingredients. Honestly, I can’t wait to see how they balance the gag moments with the heartfelt hunger for home-style comfort food.

Totally hooked on the concept, I’ve been following this one closely: the anime adaptation of the manga known as 'Dungeon Meshi', which English speakers often call 'Delicious in Dungeon'. It takes the wild idea of treating monsters as ingredients—cooking goblins, troll steaks, and gelatinous cube soups—while still keeping the fantasy adventure heart intact. The manga’s combination of practical survival cooking, charming character beats, and genuinely inventive monster biology makes it ripe for animation.

From what I've tracked, the production-side lead on the project is Studio Trigger, supported by a standard production committee setup that helps coordinate funding, distribution, and music. Trigger’s involvement makes sense because their energy and stylistic boldness can amplify the comic timing and the grotesque-but-appetizing monster designs. I’m most excited to see how they render textures—the crunch of fried wyvern skin, the shimmer of monster broth—and whether they keep the manga’s tongue-in-cheek recipe breakdowns. All in all, it’s a rare mash-up that makes me hungry and nostalgic for tabletop adventures at the same time.

On a more analytical note, 'Delicious in Dungeon'—originally serialized as 'Dungeon Meshi'—is the property getting the animated treatment and production leadership is credited mainly to Studio Trigger, coordinated through a production committee structure that’s typical in the industry. That leadership role generally means Trigger is overseeing the animation direction and core creative decisions, even when other companies handle licensing, music, and merchandising.

I’m intrigued by how production choices will shape adaptation faithfulness. The manga thrives on close-up panels showing ingredients and cooking steps, plus an encyclopedic approach to monster anatomy; animating those elements convincingly requires careful texture work and timing so that food scenes feel both enticing and a little uncanny. If Trigger preserves the manga’s mix of humor and practical science, the anime could become a great case study in adapting niche culinary-worldbuilding for a wider audience. Personally, I’m curious to see which recipes become fan-favorite staples after the show airs.

One of the wildest and most fun corners of food-related anime is when the ingredient list includes actual monsters, and there are a couple of standout shows that lean hard into that delightful weirdness. If you want sheer, unapologetic culinary adventure where beasts become the main course, two titles people often point to are 'Toriko' and 'Dungeon Meshi' (also known as 'Delicious in Dungeon'). Both take the idea of edible monsters and run with it, but they come at the concept from very different angles and with different teams steering the ship.

'Toriko' is the big, turbo-charged example: it’s essentially a shonen in which the hunt for rare, dangerous, and delicious ingredients is the central goal. The anime adaptation was produced by Toei Animation, and that shows in the scale and polish — epic battles, over-the-top flavors, and a production that leans into spectacle. Toei was the lead production studio, so you get that classic, high-energy mainstream anime feeling: long-running series potential, lots of action-meets-gastronomy moments, and a focus on big personalities. If you love giant beasts, elaborate cooking techniques, and a palate for ridiculous creativity, 'Toriko' serves those up in heaping portions.

'Dungeon Meshi' (published in English as 'Delicious in Dungeon') is a different creature entirely — in the best way. It treats monster cuisine with curiosity, humor, and surprisingly meticulous food science. The premise is wonderfully specific: a group of dungeon delvers who, stranded and low on supplies, start cooking what they can hunt in the dungeon. Ryoko Kui’s original manga blends fantasy exploration, ecological notes about the creatures, and detailed recipes that make the whole idea feel plausible and strange. The anime adaptation kept that intimate, inventive tone, with production led by the creative team who respected Kui’s worldbuilding. Rather than showy spectacle, the adaptation emphasizes texture, taste descriptions, and the quiet joy of making do with what you’ve got — a cozy, clever take compared to 'Toriko’s' bombast.

Between the two, the leads in production shape the tone: Toei’s a powerhouse that pushes for large-scale, action-forward entertainment in 'Toriko', while the team behind 'Dungeon Meshi' leaned more into atmosphere, faithful adaptation of the source material, and culinary detail. Both make monsters feel delicious in their own ways — one by turning them into the climax of a battle-cook sequence, the other by making you genuinely think about what a sentient, dungeon-dwelling crustacean might taste like when slow-roasted over a magic fire. Personally, I love that anime can be this wildly imaginative about food — it’s a reminder that storytelling can turn a weird little idea into something that actually makes you hungry and grinning at the same time.

By the way, for anyone wondering which series dives into edible beasts: it’s 'Dungeon Meshi', often called 'Delicious in Dungeon', and the production lead is Studio Trigger with support from a broader production committee. The premise of turning monster parts into meals is so odd and charming that seeing it animated by a studio known for stylistic flair feels like a perfect fit.

I’m already picturing close-ups of sizzling monster meat and characters debating seasoning as if they’re Michelin judges—can’t wait to see it come to life, it’s going to be a wild, tasty ride.