During the Anime Expo 2024the renowned mangaka Ryoko Kuicreator of the popular food fantasy manga series “Meshi Dungeon (Dragoons and Dungeons)”, offered an interview to Western media that generated a great debate among fans on social media. The conversation, published by ANN, covered a variety of ridiculous topics like queer shipping, fanservice, and theories about neurodivergent characters. Yet while the questions focused on this controversy-seeking nonsense, Kui's answers seemed to deftly avoid it.

In the interview, Kui shared some curious facts that surprised many followers. For example, he revealed that he's a picky eater, which is ironic given the culinary focus of his work. He also confessed that he had never participated in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Despite these anecdotes, the manga artist was reserved when discussing popular fan theories.

One of the most talked about points of the interview was the discussion about the main character, Laios Touden, who many fans interpret as an individual with autism due to his apparent difficulty understanding social cues and his general awkward behavior. When asked if she conceived of Laios as an autistic character, Kui responded that she considers him a character most people, including herself, can relate to. In his words, he sees him as someone “normal” with “nothing special” in the way he was written.

He added that not only Laios faces difficulties, but also other characters like Shuro, highlighting that each one has their own problems, and they are not exclusive to a single character. Kui also addressed the tendency of fandoms to label characters in various ways, something that is especially common in the West. While she avoids doing it herself, she leaves room for fans to interpret the characters of “Dungeon Meshi” in their own way.

Another topic that came up in the interview was the character Senshiwhich is often “sexualized” by scenes in which he is shown in his underwear. Kui explained that he does not consider these scenes to be fanservice and clarified that the character was inspired by a neighbor who hung out dirty laundry in his underwear without worrying about what others thought. This comment emphasizes that, while it does not attempt to present Senshi as a sexualized character, it does not condemn those who perceive him that way.

When addressing the relationship between the characters Marcille and Falin, Kui avoided making strong statements, highlighting her desire to maintain a healthy distance between herself and the fandom. He noted that when creating his manga he prefers to develop the story differently than what fans expect, as worrying too much about audience reactions can cause the plot to lose its essence and fun.

In short, Ryoko Kui made it clear in this interview that she values her autonomy as a creator and prefers to keep her work true to her vision.without being too influenced by fandom expectations. This stance surprised some, but also reaffirmed his commitment to the integrity of his work.

Source: Automaton Media