Japanese lament that Dungeon Meshi is not more popular

In a comment forum in Japan, members have expressed their disappointment and sadness at the apparent lack of popularity of the anime "Dungeon Meshi (Delicious in Dungeon)," despite its quality and narrative potential. This debate comes in contrast to the enormous success of the adaptation of "Sousou no Frieren", another series with a similar theme.

Dungeon Meshi, a manga series written and illustrated by Ryoko Kui, has been acclaimed for its originality and focus on dungeon crawling and monster cooking. However, despite having a solid fan base in the manga world, it seems to have failed to capture the same attention in its anime adaptation.

Forum users have expressed various theories about the possible reasons behind this phenomenon. Some point to marketing problems or an insufficient promotion strategy on the part of animation studio TRIGGER. Others suggest that it could be due to differences in public perception between manga and anime, or even market saturation with other similar titles.

In contrast, "Sousou no Frieren," another manga that tackles fantasy and adventure themes, experienced phenomenal success with its anime adaptation. The series captured the audience's imagination with its intriguing premise and flawless execution from Madhouse Studios, earning praise from critics and viewers alike.

"I wonder if this will affect the manga not being fully adapted."
"It's pretty interesting, but not enough to dominate in one season."
"The original work is already finished, so you can't make many original changes. The animators were able to make a lot of changes to Kimetsu no Yaiba and Fullmetal Alchemist, but here it's impossible."
"The first episode was very boring, I really tried to like it, but it wasn't possible."
"In my opinion, Dungeon Meshi is far superior to Sousou no Frieren, but sadly few give it the chance."
"It's amazing how slice-of-life, comedy, gore and a serious story can be at any time. I don't think it's the kind of work that would dominate in a season, which explains why Sousou no Frieren easily overshadowed it."
"It doesn't have to be massively popular, it's better appreciated when there are few of us who know something very good."
"It's interesting, even the moments when they go into the dungeons."
"I don't understand the demand for this kind of anime. What's the point of selling yourself as an otherworldly food story when in the end the dishes are the same as the real thing? If they gained some skill in eating, maybe the idea would have been better."
"The few episodes where no food was cooked were boring, and the immediate aftermath of that, the sense of excitement in the inner circle of those who weren't in the main group, was incredibly cold, so I stopped watching."
"I like anime, but there's a sense that it's missing a bit of emotion when I watch it. This is arguably a constant flaw of Trigger."
"A long explanation of the worldview in an episode where I'm not yet interested in that world is complete bullshit. Also, the female characters aren't very attractive."
"The second season has started and it's getting more and more interesting. The last few episodes have been great. But it doesn't look good for Trigger. I understand that it may seem a bit irregular."
"If it doesn't have ecchi or a tinge of romantic comedy, it won't be popular nowadays. Stark and Fern's romance, along with Frieren and Himmel's, were what propelled Sousou no Frieren to stardom."
"Neither the magic that appears nor the combat abilities of the characters are significantly detached from reality in a few cases. The only ones that aren't are transport magic and terrain interference. The rest are things that can be replaced with current technology, such as explosion magic, healing magic, and lightning, and they don't look good on screen. Summoning and using demons is no different than using drones."
"It's plain and simple. That's why it never caught on."