Interview: Sayaka Sembongi and Kentaro Kumagai on Delicious in Dungeon's Marcille and Laios

Delicious in Dungeon won our hearts with its charming storyline, unique recipes, and adorable cast. Before the anime premiered this January we had a chance to send in a few questions directed at the main cast – Sayaka Sembongi and Kentaro Kumagai, the voices of Marcille and Laios. While we waited for the answers, this duo won us over with their charming dynamic and now we get to learn more about how they bring their characters to life.

Q: Could you share some insights into your respective roles in the series?

S: Hello, my name is Sayaka Sembongi, and for this anime, Delicious in Dungeon, I will be playing the role of Marcille.
K: My name is Kentaro Kumagai, and I am the voice for Laios in Delicious in Dungeon!

Q: Were you familiar with the original manga? What was your first impression of the Delicious in Dungeon fantasy series?

S: For Delicious in Dungeon, I did know about the series before I auditioned. It was talked about since the first release of the manga volumes, and I heard from various people all around me, that it was a very popular series. And I heard that it was about taking down monsters and eating them. So, I was aware of the story before auditioning. But once I tried out the role, I read through the manga, and it was so interesting. It was a really good balance between its serious story and comedic aspects. I read through it so quickly because I was so immersed.

K: I was familiar with the series beforehand, but the first time I actually read the complete series was just before the audition. My first impression was that it was really, really interesting and entertaining.

Q: What do you think makes the character voice in Delicious in Dungeon feel different in comparison to previous roles you have done?

S: In terms of the overall feel of the character, it’s not so different from the other roles that I usually take on. But the comedy aspect was very different and unique because the role of Marcille often has to retort to some of the airheaded aspects of the other characters’ comical relief moments. I haven’t had much opportunity or experience in playing out those roles or characters. There are many scenes where Marcille has to jump in, or Marcille has to react or retort to the other characters acting a little bit weirder or airheaded. So, this was a new and refreshing experience.

K: I believe that my character Laios is very easily misunderstood. So the way he communicates with the people around him is one of his characteristics that is different from the other roles I’ve done.

Q: What aspects of your character do you find most intriguing to portray? Or what did you like most about playing the character?

S: In order to portray the comical side of the character, it was quite a challenge because I’ve never really done it that much. But while I was acting out Marcille, I thought, how can I bring out her true nature and character, through these comical scenes? Through her retorting or her reacting to these comedy moments, I would consider what she was thinking. How is she reacting at this moment? Other than that, I do enjoy the comical aspects, but outside of that as well, she also has a lot of cute moments. I think those are the moments that I also enjoy because there are so many facets of her character.

K: As a character, one of the things that is most characteristic and very intriguing about him is that he has a very straightforward personality. One of his main goals in the series is to save his sister and then also, of course, be able to try out all these delicious monsters that he’s very curious about. So, kind of having that sincerity toward his own wants, and what he wants to try out is similar to a young boy, so he has very sincere emotions that I find very interesting to play. It’s also what I like about him. He always listens to the voice of his heart and his morals when he acts. He doesn’t really try to be funny or fool around but ends up doing it by accident. So those are some of the things that are intriguing about him.

Q: Despite being, in general, very focused, Marcille is very lively when it comes to food introduced in the series, and Laios’ crazy ideas can get Marcille out of control during their adventures. What are the challenges in accommodating these two opposite sides of her character? How did you channel that energy?

S: When you put it that way, I guess there are these two aspects of her. I think for Marcille, her number one goal is to save Falin. So, in order to reach that goal and accomplish this, she must survive the dungeon. And then, once she survives the dungeon, she’s able to reach Falin.

To reach that goal, and obviously in order to survive, you must eat. As a result, as part of that goal, Laios does say some crazy things like, “If you want to survive, you must eat.” I think her true feeling is that “I want to eat normal food,” but she also realizes the reality that she must eat to survive.

I feel like there wasn’t much difficulty in trying to portray those two sides, just because I feel like Marcille, at her core, is a very honest person in the way that she approaches these two aspects.

Q: Laios is a very serious character in the series and carries the traits of a leader. At the same time, Laios actually has a mission to rescue his sister, Falin. As such, when he acts differently, it can be funny. How are you aware of this gap in understanding and acting the character? Or what image do you have in mind while acting as Laios?

K: I believe Laios doesn’t actually try to be a leader or act like a leader of the party, although that is indeed his role within the adventurer party. I don’t think he tries to act as it or takes actions in order to seem like a leader. He doesn’t even think the role suits him.

However, the actions he ends up taking either to save his sister Falin or toward monsters and his curiosity end up creating that gap or that difference in how he can be funny and serious at the same time. So, when I’m acting, I don’t try to purposely create that gap or try to force it. It comes out because of how he is and the way he thinks.

Q: To viewers who have not read the manga, where is the main appeal of the Delicious in Dungeon anime? Why should we watch it?

S: As human beings, one of the requirements to survive is to eat and take in food. I feel like that’s one of the appealing aspects of the series. The cooking and eating aspects are also really interesting, but more than that, after eating, there are relationships and bonds that strengthen. It’s beyond just the food itself. It’s also interesting to see how the process of cooking the food, eating together, and how that affects everyone’s relationships can also affect the adventures afterward.

K: As the title suggests in Japanese, Dungeon Meshi, which is roughly translated as Dungeon Food, the story basically portrays people eating food in a dungeon. However, dungeons are usually places where there is nothing to eat, which is why adventurer parties need to bring their own food so they can survive. In the case of Laios’ party, they see food in a different way per se, and kind of start out experimenting with things that aren’t supposed to be edible. And I guess experimenting with how to prepare, cook, and then eat those things. Basically, it portrays life in a dungeon.

Of course, it is a gourmet story and gourmet anime. But I feel like the story focuses more on how they live, eat, and. survive. The importance of what food plays in life and the importance of taking a life in order to survive is also key. So, it has a lot of deeper tones to it that you can learn while you watch the anime or read the series. Seeing a different aspect of food and what food means in our lives, I think, is one of the things you learn from this anime which is why you should watch it.

Q: Delicious in Dungeon has garnered significant anticipation with its manga’s success. How does it feel to be part of the team bringing this beloved series to life as an anime, and what can viewers look forward to in the adaptation?

S: I was so very happy to hear about the manga being turned into anime and being able to take part in this effort was so exciting to me because it’s such a well-known and beloved manga, and I love the world-building in Delicious in Dungeon. Acting out the eating experience and being able to be part of this world was really exciting news for me.

When it was announced that I would be voicing Marcille, so many people reached out to me saying that they were so excited and happy for me. They cheered me on and they encouraged me. This is a manga I love myself, and so does everyone else also involved. So many people love Delicious in Dungeon! Although it makes me nervous, it gives me the energy and inspiration so that we can enjoy the series together and I’ll do my best.

K: As mentioned, Ryoko Kui’s manga is already a very popular series, and in order to make it an anime, we were able to join forces with animation studio TRIGGER, which has already increased the hype and anticipation towards this anime. I feel very honored to be able to portray Laios, which is a very important role in the series, and I feel very happy to be a part of this creation and production. I look forward to portraying it and doing my best through my acting to do it justice.

I can’t really decide one specific thing or one single thing that I want people to look forward to. Basically, there’s so much heat and passion that was put in by every single member of the team to create this series such as the animation by TRIGGER, the story and composition, the art and designs that show respect to the original series, the music, and the acting and energy we put in as a cast to voice the characters.

Those are the things that have come together with so much love and so much passion that I can’t really just choose one thing. That is, we can say that it is filled with love and passion by every single member of the team, so that is one thing we would like you to pay attention to or look forward to in the series.

Q: For fans who are waiting for Delicious in Dungeon, what would you like them to pay attention to while watching Marcille?

S: I’ve already mentioned this before, but there are many sides to Marcille. She’s very human, and I think that’s one of the most charming aspects about her. When I’m acting out as Marcille, I wonder to myself, “If I were Marcille, would I be able to eat this? I think I could handle this.” So, as I think these thoughts, I hope that it’s able to come across as the genuine, real Marcille.

Q: Any final comments to fans overseas as they watch the anime series?

S: With Delicious in Dungeon, I was able to visit America myself, and I got to see firsthand how passionate everyone feels and how excited everyone is. That really gave me a lot of inspiration and motivation to keep doing my best. I believe that the anime will be simulcasted in America as well, and I hope that everyone has fun and enjoys watching the anime.

As you watch, please post about it on X, Instagram, etc., so that we can all share our reactions and share our enjoyment of Delicious in Dungeon. Thank you so much, and I hope you all enjoy watching the anime.

K: Delicious in Dungeon is loved by so many people all over the world. I really feel a lot of pride in being able to be a part of the making of this anime, and I will do the best I can to be the best Laios and put all my energy into the acting.

Please watch it once it comes out, and please enjoy it as much as we do and feel the love that we have put into it.

---