Delicious In Dungeon Creator Shut Down a Longtime Fan Theory About a Popular Character

Ryoko Kui’s Delicious in Dungeon has rapidly become one of the biggest anime and manga franchises in the world since the release of its anime adaptation on Netflix in January 2024. The series is funny, has incredible worldbuilding, and an even more charming cast of characters.

In an interview conducted during Anime Expo 2024 by Lynzee Loveridge at Anime News Network, the network sat down with Ryoko Kui to discuss the series in depth, especially the fandom’s perceptions of Laios’ party, and Laios himself.

While Kui States That There Isn’t Anything Special About Laios, She Aimed To Make Him Relatable

A popular fan theory surrounding Laios is that he’s neurodivergent, or that he could fall somewhere on the autism spectrum. This theory stems from a multitude of examples throughout the series, including his confrontation with Shuro, which the interviewer references in their conversation, as something that a lot of neurodivergent Delicious in Dungeon fans relate to. Ryoko Kui responded to the question by saying:

So my understanding is Laios is a really normal person; there’s nothing special, and everyone can relate [to a person like him]. I also relate to him, so I don’t think I’m writing anything special [regarding Laios]. That’s why I think people can relate to or appreciate him. Some people might say Laios is a little bit autistic, but Shuro has his own difficulties.

Everyone has their individual problems. It’s not just Laios or Shuro; the problems are mutual. We always need to try to understand and learn from each other. Sometimes, you might hurt another person, but that’s the process we need to understand other people.

Ryoko Kui in an interview with Anime News Network

While the creator denounces that she intentionally made Laios neurodivergent when creating him, her statement invites fans to still find him relatable and that, if they see a piece of themselves in him, that that’s okay too.

She goes on to provide an incredibly nuanced and powerful statement regarding interpersonal relationships in response to the confrontation between Shuro and Laios and the growing pains we sometimes have to go through as people to understand one another.

Fan interpretations of characters is part of what keeps fandom discussions (and occasional discourse) thriving. With Delicious in Dungeon season 2 currently in production, conversations surrounding the series and its character won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

The original Delicious in Dungeon manga is available in English from Yen Press on retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The anime adaptation is available to stream on Netflix.

Source: Anime News Network