Delicious In Dungeon Exhibition Brings A Double Feature Exhibition For Fans

While many anime tend to be celebrated for the story, it feels like mangaka are a group that could use a few more flowers. For as cool as seeing your favorite characters can be, it's even cooler when you get an insight into the creative process behind it.

If you've got some time to kill in KL, you'll definitely want to check the double-act Delicious in Dungeon exhibition and Ryoko Kui exhibit. Bringing Ryoko Kui's popular fantasy manga to life, it's one of the most immersive exhibitions to come to Incubase Arena yet.

Part 1- The Ryoko Kui Exhibition

While Delicious In Dungeon is Ryoko Kui's first serialized work, she's actually had multiple compilation books, collecting various short stories through her career. The first chunk of this exhibition is a celebration of all these works.

From large prints to manuscript replicas, it's a great way to introduce yourself to the quirky charm of her works. I'm especially a fan of the pieces from Terrarium In Drawer- it's such a quirky premise to start with, and the gorgeous environments alongside the characters make for a nice accompaniment.

Featuring commentary from Ryoko Kui herself about the process of getting these works publish, it's a great reminder that just because you're not tied to a big publisher now, doesn't mean your art has no value- many of Ryoko Kui's works were compiled from material she'd prepared for conventions, only to be republished in a book.

Part 2- The Delicious In Dungeon Exhibition

After the sobering walk through Ryoko Kui's early works, the Delicious In Dungeon Exhibition starts in earnest. There's a particular part of this that works really well with the Incubase Arena formula- given that the series itself takes place in a massive underground labyrinth, it feels like a match made in heaven for the wider Incubase space- the whole exhibition is full of twists and turns, almost like a dungeon of its own.

There's even the odd arrangement of bricks on some walls- very apt for the setting.

Content wise, however, this might be the most elaborate exhibition done yet at Incubase Arena. Without spoiling the later elements of the series, the exhibition does an excellent job of highlighting the first cour of Delicious In Dungeon.

Whether you're a manga or anime fan, it feels like there's something for all types. There's even an extension of artwork by Ryoko Kui on display- from her cover art for the collected volumes of Delicious in Dungeon to the pieces used in the first ED for the anime.

It's not just that they're on display though- it also contains a gold standard for exhibiting any artist's work: the included feature of sketches as well. It's such a tell into the creative process of making these pieces- even when the differences can be as minor as Marcille looking a different direction or a change in lighting.

However, if you're looking to be immersed in the world of Delicious in Dungeon, there's plenty going on for that too. The exhibition features all kinds of sets, featuring replicas of dishes from the anime. While they're obviously not edible, they're great to see in person- like the mushroom stew from the start of the series or even the more exotic meals like the Mimic-based dish.

There's even the occasional monster replica around the corner- be it in standee form or even a straight-up suit of armor deprived of its Living Armor molluscs.

It's not even all about the food, either. The exhibition features so many interactive displays and photo spots, like a Golem you can sit on or even your very own Frog suit to pose with. There's even interviews with the cast on the walls, describing what it's like bringing characters like Laios and Senshi to life- a treasure trove of information for die-hard fans.

While it covers all of the first cour, there's one part of the cour that absolutely gets more love than the rest of the exhibition. The Red Dragon arc has a wealth of material going for it, including storyboards for the episode itself.

Its such a cool way to celebrate the climax of the quest that starts the series- to defeat the Red Dragon and save Falin. Getting to see production materials for the scene itself feels like an extrapolation of the message of Delicious In Dungeon itself: that the beauty is in the making of things.

There's also the coolest photo op in the whole exhibition: an inflatable Red Dragon, for you to take photos with. Given Ryoko Kui's own love for sword-and-sorcery stories its hard to not feel some kind of interactive dragon at the end of the dungeon was absolutely necessary: and the way you enter the room painted in its red light is absolutely cool.

There's also a life-sized replica Falin, another cool display to get a photo with.

Truly Appetite-Whetting Experience

As with the previous exhibition the Delicious In Dungeon Exhibition also sees a collab cafe open up next door, being able to get dishes themed after various characters. Even if you're somehow not hungry from the exhibition, I'd recommend taking a look around- from the standees of the cast in waiter outfits to illustrations on the wall, it's a good way to cap off the experience.

If you like exhibitions all about bringing things off the screen and into physical 3D space, the Delicious In Dungeon Exhibition is one to head to. The event runs from now until 28th September, so be sure to get your tickets and whet your appetite thinking about how good Dragon Steak might be.