- "Praise and worship our great Conchita"
Deadly Sins of Evil: Evil Food Eater Conchita is a Light Novel in the Deadly Sins of Evil Light Novel series of the Evillious Chronicles franchise. It was written by the Japanese producer Akuno-P (mothy) and illustrated by Ichika, released 2013. The story was marketed along with a short story, “Gloom of Held”, taking place during the events of the novel.
A deeper look into the story of the song of the same name, the novel centers around the birth, life, and death of Banica Conchita, a Duke of Beelzenia whose opsomania becomes deranged (not to mention Banica herself becoming deranged) after making a contract with the Demon of Gluttony. Meanwhile, the sorceress Elluka Clockworker continues on her quest to find and seal all seven of the Seven Deadly Sins.
The novel takes place in the waning years of the Beelzenian Empire, set against the tumultuous political change in the region and containing revelations that carry over into the Story of Evil; the novel is preceded by Deadly Sins of Evil: The Lunacy of Duke Venomania and followed by Gift From the Princess Who Brought Sleep.
The novel's website can be found here
(note however that it’s all in Japanese), and can be purchased on Amazon.
The story provides examples of:
- Abusive Parents: Banica's mother, who force-feeds her little girl whatever leftovers she didn't finish and harshly scolds her if there’s food left on her plate.
- Arranged Marriage: Banica and Carlos Marlon were briefly arranged to be married before the Marlon family was creeped out by her eating habits.
- Autocannibalism: The eventual fate of Banica Conchita.
- Bad Boss: Banica Conchita is shown to be one, hence why all fourteen chefs before Joseph got fed up with her behavior and were "punished" by being killed and eaten for it.
- "Gloom of Held" reveals Elluka to have been a comically bad boss to Platonic; after essentially kidnapping her, she calls it "hiring a servant without paying her", locks her in a house and even forgets to leave her food.
Held: You do cruel things. - Banana Peel: The first scene opening on Joseph's service to Banica has him slipping on banana peels suspiciously placed in his path—by Arte and Pollo.
- Bittersweet Ending: Banica's reign of terror has ended and her baby is safe, but not only did Elluka fail to keep the glass, but in eating herself, Banica became the new Demon of Gluttony, and will cause even more death and terror. The nature of the ending is even Lampshaded by the meal accompanying the Dessert chapter, a combo platter that's both bitter and sweet.
- "Blind Idiot" Translation: The official English title—a slightly more accurate translation would be "Gluttony Girl Conchita", but then similar to the "Daughter of Evil" title it wouldn't be as punchy.
- Chekhov's Gun: Muzuri's sword in the first chapter, which he always wears at his side and which the narrative points out he almost drew on AB-CIR in anger. He later uses the sword to put down his own deranged wife.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: Irina attempts this on Held in "Gloom of Held," although it’s not very effective because, as a tree, he has no nerve endings. It’s more like "Cold-Blooded Vandalism."
- It's noted that Lord Hedgehog, whom she serves at the time, is fond of this.
- Creepy Child: With Banica's servants it's subverted; they appear to be children but are actually in their twenties. Although that doesn't make them less creepy...
- Deal with the Devil: Banica pulls this off in order to survive her insanely unhealthy weight gain from eating, as well as to be able to eat the inedible.
- Foregone Conclusion: The audience already knows from the song that Banica eats herself, although it's more of a twist what happens afterwards.
- Foreign Queasine: Downplayed example, but it's a minor plot point in the Soup chapter that none of the guests from Beelzenia enjoy the Marlon food, and often don't finish it. Arte claims it tastes like pig slop.
- Foreshadowing: Extremely subtle foreshadowing in Digestif for a reveal much, much later in the series—Banica's narrative in the Flash Forward to Gallerian's time mentions that she has met Irina several times, her having changed names and appearances each time. And then she comments that the same thing happened tonight. In other words, Banica is referring to having met Irina who has changed into "Michelle", the Clockworker's Doll.
- Freudian Excuse: To say that Banica's childhood was a mess would be an understatement, but essentially most of her household was subject to the ravages of the Gula plague when a dinner celebrating her birth went awry, leading to ten years of misery, abuse, and death.
- Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Instead of being numbered, the chapters are listed off as though they're a fancy restaurant menu with several courses—for example the prologue is Aperitif, chapter 1 is Hors'doeuvre, etc.
- Impossibly Delicious Food: The flesh of the Baemu pig is supposed to be this, which is why Muzuri is so hell-bent on eating it even though there are warning signs it might be bad for him.
- Ironic Echo: Banica's infamous line before eating herself, "There's still something to eat, isn't there?" is actually said first by her mother, when she attempted to cook and eat one of the dead servants when crazed by the Gula disease.
- Karma Houdini: Banica is never really punished. She achieves her goal of eating all the extreme food she wanted, and in the end, by eating the demon of Gluttony by eating herself, she continues existing so she can cause havoc throughout the rest of the series. Even by the Clockwork Lullaby she's still kicking and enjoying her hedonistic lifestyle.
- Offingthe Offspring: A subversion with Banica, who plans to eat her child and then changes her mind at the last minute.
- Repeating So the Audience Can Hear: In the interlude periods between storytelling where the waiter talks to the unnamed guest, they repeat almost everything they're told as the audience isn't shown anyone's commentary but the waiter's.
- She Is the King: Nobility example for Duke (rather than Duchess) Banica Conchita, who is one of the Beelzenian Five Dukes.
- Slasher Smile: Banica makes a huge wide-eyed grin as she’s preparing to eat her baby.
- Suicide Is Painless: Conchita ends up eating herself because she's the last "edible" meal left in her mansion. She actually seems rather pleased that she got to taste everything in the world.
- Taking You with Me: Discussed in "Gloom of Held," as a reason why Irina doesn't just kill Held—in the instant before his freed godly form returns to the Heavenly Yard, he could use all his power to obliterate her soul.
- Tempting Fate: Muzuri eating the forbidden Baemu pig is one thing, but drinking out of the wine glass they found in its stomach is something else. Throughout the first chapter he's almost asking to get cursed.
- The Unreveal: The novel, while giving a whole lot of new information on the Conchita event as a whole, still didn't address how the hell Conchita ate herself.
- You Killed My Father: Banica tries to invoke this against the Demon of Gluttony, who had been blamed for killing her mother, but it reminds her that her father was the one who really did it.
