to me the funniest part of Laios is a character is the fact that he’s genuinely really good at what he does. it would be one thing if he was just a monster geek in a way other people find really offputting, but he can also bisect something twice his size in a single blow
in this way, like so many others, he and marcille are secretly The Same
dungeon meshi has the Mob Psycho Sauce where it’s funny even when its serious and serious even when its funny. like, this is a hilarious thing about laios — but also ties into the fundamental logic of the story.
Laois is not good at what he does AND a monster geek. he is good at what he does BECAUSE he is a monster geek. in dungeon meshi, survival in the dungeon isn’t due to physical strength or dnd-style party balance or asskicking ability or Willpower. the narrative takes great pains to show that it is respect, knowledge and love of a place that gives one the ability to survive and thrive in that place. that’s why we see people like Kabru’s party, who are clearly very skilled warriors in their own right, look like absolute CLOWNS in their encounters with dungeon dangers that are barely a hiccup for laois’s party
Like, Laois can’t bisect something twice his size in a single blow because he’s a Strong Cool Protagonist, but because all the things he’s fighting are things he deeply loves, respects, and is autistically insane about enough to know their weaknesses. the special interest that makes him a weirdo on the surface makes the dungeon his natural habitat.
We see it in literally the first “encounter” when they’re preparing the walking mushroom, and Senshi shows him how to cut it properly for food. Laios immediately goes “Oh, I see!” and imagines attacking one with his sword vertically instead of horizontally.
This man loves monsters, loves learning about them, and in the dungeon, he can finally apply all the stuff he knows.