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Pass the Monster Meat, Milady! (TV).


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Edjwald



Joined: 03 Aug 2017
Posts: 3507
PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2025 4:48 pm Reply with quote


Pass the Monster Meat, Milady! (TV)

Source: Light Novel (ongoing @ 3 volumes, written by Kanata Hoshi, illustrated by Peperon)

Demographic:

Animation Studio: Asahi Production

Genres: comedy, drama, fantasy, romance

Themes: aristocracy, cooking, gourmet, medieval, monsters, social stigma

Plot Summary: Melphiera is an earl's daughter who's shunned by most of the nobility, thanks to rumors about her proclivity for monster-based cuisine. When she attends a party in hopes of finding someone to wed, she's attacked by a vicious monster—only to be saved by Aristide of Galbraith, feared as the "Blood-Mad Duke." He begins to take a liking to Melphiera…and before long, he's even interested in the "hobby" she never dared to tell anyone else.

Air Date & Platform:
October 02, 2025 (Thursday)
Available on: Crunchyroll

Episode Count / Runtime: Pending

[EDIT: Fancy opener stuff edited. -TK]
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smurky turkey



Joined: 30 Jan 2022
Posts: 4990
PostPosted: Thu Oct 02, 2025 1:36 pm Reply with quote
Pass the Monster Meat is the first premiere of the season that makes me sure that I will stick around until the end. The premise of making edible food out of monsters and possibly creating a new food culture that way interests me a fair bit. Character wise I rather like Melphiera and Aristide and they already have some solid chemistry in the first episode. The animation is nothing special but good enough.
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Yttrbio



Joined: 09 Jun 2011
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 02, 2025 6:45 pm Reply with quote
I had to drop this on account of them eating sandwiches from the long side. It's obscene.
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Edjwald



Joined: 03 Aug 2017
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 03, 2025 3:59 am Reply with quote
I agree, Smurk. I found this anime's combination of earnestness and silliness and slightly offbeat...ummm...not grossness exactly...visercalness? Visceralosity? How about it's gleeful pursuit of butchering? Anyhow, I thought making the leads eccentric but pure foodies whose obsessions blind them to the usual social games was a lot of fun. Sweet with a hint of spiciness, this anime left a charming aftertaste.
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Tony K.
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 03, 2025 4:44 pm Reply with quote
Man, I had all these plans to spruce up the Campfire Cooking thread with real-world recipe equivalents to the dishes in each episode, and maybe even posting a YouTube video to coincide with each dish. But If this show ends up doing the exact same thing (presenting their fantasy-world food as real-world equivalents), but then also develops the two main characters as tragically misunderstood people, and has good food art. I'm gonna' be swamped! I barely have time to even watch/sample all of my backlog, let alone review a show, anymore. Maybe the least I could do is screen caps..
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smurky turkey



Joined: 30 Jan 2022
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2025 2:23 pm Reply with quote
When Aristide and his brother were talking about Melphiera with the former acting a bit bashful I was wondering if the romance was going to progress slowly. Less than ten minutes later Aristide came flying in on his dragon while having made his intentions crystal clear and he even brought along the monster they talked about previously. What followed were more cute and fun moments, it has been a while since I was sold on a couple this quickly.

Besides the romance there was an interesting flashback and given the ending I am rather curious to see what Melpheira's monster history/project entails. I am even more looking forward to the couple working together to spread monster meals.

The show has been a pleasant surprise thus far.
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2025 3:12 pm Reply with quote
Yeah, this has so far been one of my favorite new series. I could do with Mel internally squealing a bit less, but outwardly, she's fine, and Ari is a snack himself, in more than just his appearance. I enjoyed how much both of them were clearly enjoying flirting with each other, which in itself is pretty rare in anime. Usually the guy's all cool and confident and the girl's all blushing and looking for her fainting couch at everything he says, so their being on equal terms in the courtship (never mind their disparate social status) is refreshing.

Chaos and Ari's royal bro seem fun too, but I don't think I've ever heard of a monarchy that adopts out and demotes the spare heirs to the throne. If something knocks off the prince, does Ari then get unadopted and promoted? oO

Luckily Ari has magic. It'd kinda be hard to use a stun-bolt to the forehead when there's a horn there. I just hope they keep the goat anesthetised until it's dead. I don't want to see it gasping for air like a sliced up fish on a plate. :/
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Edjwald



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PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2025 5:30 pm Reply with quote
I guess maybe the adoption into a Duke's family was to decrease the threat of people trying to use him to start a civil war for the throne?

This probably isn't my favorite new anime of the season - that honor probably goes to Sanda. But it's certainly the most pleasant surprise. I tried it out of a sense of due diligence, but it's kinda goofy and the chemistry between the lead likable oddballs is great.

It occurs to me that eating the monster meat in this anime is kind of an acid test for how cool a character is.
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Gina Szanboti



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PostPosted: Mon Oct 13, 2025 8:07 pm Reply with quote
Edjwald wrote:
I guess maybe the adoption into a Duke's family was to decrease the threat of people trying to use him to start a civil war for the throne?

I don't see how this system would discourage that. Like again, what happens should the Prince die from disease or accident or murder? If they don't leave the throne empty, then disowned second prince is the only royal-blood option. And as long as that's an option, there's nothing to stop a second-prince faction from assassination to install him.
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smurky turkey



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PostPosted: Thu Oct 16, 2025 2:21 pm Reply with quote
3:

Mel and Ari geeking out over monster meat and them trying to explain away going for a snack is very charming. The same can be said about their unique bland of flirting (even if someone gave it a low score). The process of extracting the magic/blood out of the monsters is interesting and given what the blood can be used for worrying. Animism sounds like future trouble, though given that one knight looking a bit sus maybe close at hand.

I wonder if the show is going to lead into a crisis where people will either need to accept eating monster meat or starve.
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Gina Szanboti



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PostPosted: Thu Oct 16, 2025 5:11 pm Reply with quote
I think that was the founding scenario of her mother's lab, so I hope they don't repeat it. However, Ari made a comment that whatever happened 17 years ago is why he got adopted out. Before they made it sound like it was the norm to do so. But it does make more sense at least if there was some special reason to do it.

This series is really PETA's worst nightmare, huh. Smile And frankly, it is a little disturbing that she gets off on watching him behead animals even if they're just lying there harmless. Maybe that's what she meant by wondering if he'd still like her if he knew her better.
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Edjwald



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PostPosted: Fri Oct 17, 2025 4:21 am Reply with quote
I figured the show was just going to be a variation of the Campfire Cooking in Another World formula - you know, basically never any real danger, with likable foodies getting their grub on every episode - but it looks like this show is developing some more serious world building and back plots than I was expecting. Not that this is a bad thing.

Between the sketch knight, the evil stepmother, and the religious/political antagonists getting fleshed out, methinks there's some stormy weather on the horizon.
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smurky turkey



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PostPosted: Fri Oct 24, 2025 3:58 am Reply with quote
4:

It is interesting that the show is the opposite regarding certain common aspects of villainess anime. Melphiera was loved (by most) in her home but given the region her research is taken as a taboo at best and something to be rid off at worst (hence her father being the origin of her bad reputation). Her new home sounds a lot more fitting and given the monster forest nearby she can go crazy with research and food prep.

The sus knight was thankfully not an enemy, potentially a later on ally even. The stepmother is indeed a bitch and will likely stay that way but I doubt it will become more than that. The Animism folks are likely to be a problem sooner or later, especially once word of Melphiera's activities get out more.

So yeah, looking forward to monster food taking hold in a new region.
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Edjwald



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PostPosted: Fri Oct 24, 2025 4:53 pm Reply with quote
I like the direction they went instead of stressing soap opera or dark elements. I have to say, they really went all out in the adorbs department while having the newly-engaged couple become further acquainted, but I didn't find it cloying.
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smurky turkey



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PostPosted: Thu Oct 30, 2025 2:31 pm Reply with quote
5:

I am increasingly unsure if the show will continue to be cute and fluffy or if the future holds trials and drama. There are plenty of peaceful moments between Melphiera and Aristide while they are flirting, geeking out over monsters and just being awkward in a fun way. Hearing about the monsters in their world is interesting with lots of different types out there. On the other hand is the hint of drama with things such as Animism and now Aristide possible being at risk of having his own mana be a threat. He is rather sturdy though and killing monsters uses up a lot of mana so things may be fine?
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