Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka

Ah, role playing games. The common theatric in a role playing game is you, the player, controlling a little avatar of yourself as you explore the world and level up your skills, making yourself the best adventurer out there. So, to encapsulate that idea, we have Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka, or "Is it wrong to pick up girls in a dungeon?" in the Spring 2015 season to tell us this. Let's start our journey!

Story (7.48/10): Danmachi as the shorthanded way of calling this show is, takes place in a fantasy realm, a world where Gods ... and Goddesses (of actual mythos names for gods that exist within our world) have come down to earth to be amongst their children, sealing off their divine powers in the process. Here, the people are given blessings by their gods and goddess, given power to do magics and "level up" like general RPG style manner and become a member in their familia, going down in a dungeon in order to fight monsters, loot them, and sell them so they can buy more stuff and become stronger, simple RPG mechanics. Here, we follow the story of Bell Cranel, a beginner adventurer that becomes one just so he can meet girls (hence the title of the show). Here, he is chased by a deadly minotaur, and is heroically saved by a blond beauty known as Aiz Wallenstein. And from there, our story begins.

The structure of Danmachi is very reminiscent to a standard RPG, where our main character, Bell, starts off at a very base level and slowly makes his ascent up to become stronger and stronger, gaining new equipment, skills, and abilities along the way. The show really puts emphasis on the growth of the main character as you go by episode to episode, which is nice to see, as you can observe the progress of our main character grind, quest, party build, and improve as the series goes along. For the most part, the series focuses mainly on Bell and his party, with a group of episodes devoted to each of the three members, with of course, most of the development devoted to Bell.

In addition, the show does boast some harem-like aspects that depending on your view of harem, can influence how you enjoy this show. Cause in a show like this, characters are slowly fed into importance, giving the viewer more and more important and non-important characters to view and know. And when you have a show that involves a weak little boy trying his love luck in a deadly dungeon, he's going to be meeting some lady friends along the way that will undeniable fall for him because he's nice.

Like good fantasy anime, Danmachi puts slight emphasis on world building, detailing the different parts of the world of Danmachi and explaining the kinds of places and the set of rules that the series follows as you go along. World building is essential to any good fantasy anime on account of the fact that every anime of this category follows different rules, rules that need to be explained to the viewer, or risk being considered garbage on account of poor explanation to the kind of place we're viewing.

But there are a couple things that I feel lacking with the show. For one thing, there are several points the feel completely forgotten or are virtually unexplained. Not everything in Danmachi is properly detailed completely, which leaves some gray areas in unexplained plot. The biggest example of this is with the show's alluded villain who does cause some ruckus for our MC to solve, taking about 3-5 episodes of runtime, but her motives and her actions just don't seem very clear. In addition, in comparison to the source material, there're some missing parallels and some decently important scenes that just never made it to the animated version.

Above all, I felt as though the show's ending was really kind of a smack to the face, dousing the viewer with a pretty hefty character trait that vies for something of a second season in order to explain that, or something of that sort. The reason for that is because the show doesn't really...end. It says "fin" at the end of the show and it feels like an ending, but there's so many plot points that just simply aren't resolved. Bell doesn't get the girl (well, he kinda does, but it's not official, so I'm not calling it.), the motives for all of the characters are far from clear, and the show just kinda drops this huge thing at the end, and...that does not sit well with me.

Overview:
+ RPG-style story that works
+ World building
- Plot holes/lack of character motive explanation
- Rushed
- Pretty frustrating ending

Characters (7.64/10): The characters for Danmachi are varied, to say the least. Like an RPG game, the anime showcases many races from what you would see from any given fantasy world, including normal humans, animal-like humans, elves, dwarves, etc.

Bell Cranel is our main protagonist in this series, aka the character who thanks to sheer luck, is also a bit of a harem king in some strange aspect. As a thief/rouge type of character, Bell is a knife wielder with light armor with an oddly high speed/dexterity stat. At the start of the series, Bell is a bit of a crybaby/wimp, being unable to pull himself up to the level of being a proper adventurer on account of his Level 1 status, and his chronic fear of minotaurs. As I have mentioned before, the series goes along with Bell's growth as he stacks up numerous accomplishments to make himself be recognized as a proper adventurer (if not a little but OP all things considering). As a result, Bell is a nicely developed character, as he's not too too rushed and he develops over time at a nice pace. The only issue...is also his chronic fear of the females. In Harem King terms, Bell rather than being perverted, is the nervous kind, leading him to be reluctant to even try to get close to the girl he's fallen for, leading to some frustrating (yet hilarious) running away scenes to the point that not only do characters notice this behavior, but Bell himself does too. (It's...kind of annoying.)

And then we have Hestia, the featured goddess of the Danmachi series. Now, unlike her real world counterpart, Hestia is not a modest woman of the hearth who swears herself to perpetual virginity, but rather a poor goddess wearing a tattered dress who's loli sized with large breasts that thirsts for Bell's love. (Quite an opposite, ain't it?) For the most part, that's really all there is to her character. She's very clingy (territorial even) when it comes to the only person in her familia (Bell), and acts very childish and throws tantrums every time Bell is in her eyes "unfaithful" or something like that. While she is actually a pretty fun character, giving off a sense of comedic feel for the show, she doesn't really actually have much development in her personality, leaving her to be stagnant in that regard. Her character revolves around Bell's existence, so she has no real development parts herself. She really just serves as a mascot for the series above all. Hell, if you type in "boob ribbon" on google, you'll get pics of Hestia's dress because of how scarily iconic that blue thing under her chest is now.

And then to round out the trio of character mentions, we have Aiz Wallenstein, the girl that Bell wants to shoot for to test his luck in the love game. In terms of character, Aiz is that cool, silent girl with the oddly adorable blank face who's slightly airheaded. Likewise with Hestia's case, she doesn't appear all that often, which really saddens me a bit because while her character revolved around Bell to some extent, she still had enough room to be more interesting and overall be a better character, not that she's not already a decent character already, but it's nice to have a little bit of development.

Side characters in Danmachi are twofold, the characters that hang around Bell, and those that are outside of our MC's circle that come to know who he is and the kind of fast progression he has in the series. For the two characters Lili and Welf that belong to Bell's party, each one of them develop a small story for each of them, gaining the character development for the series aside from Bell. They share a lot of focus from the show, which in turn, makes them into better characters that get backstories and character development. As for the other group, the characters that belong there are for the most part, cast members that bring more life into the world of Danmachi, featuring people that see Bell from time to time on occasion, other gods like Hephaestus, Hermes, and Loki, other girls like Syr and Eina, and Freya...

Admittedly, the biggest issue I have with the characters is mostly with Freya. As the character who seems to be the premier villain for the show, Freya really doesn't do anything. Because there're some missing details in the show, a lot of what Freya does canonically, doesn't actually get shown and further makes her a little less involved with the show period. She doesn't really have much of a purpose and that really bugs me because I feel like she actually does more than what she is shown to do here in the anime. (Admittedly, J.C. has a history of cutting corners.)

Overview:
+ Good character development
+ Good main cast
+ Lots of races (This is a personal positive)
- "Villain" character didn't really seem to do all that much

Art and Sound (7.44/10): In terms of art, the style that J.C. staff went for is a very standard looking style in this day and age. There's nothing really standout about it aside from the fact that it looks decent nice, so generally, I would say that the show's appearance really isn't all that noteworthy.

On the other hand though, the action scenes that the show showcases a lot are very fluid and nice. It is rather smooth and the nice addition of blood spraying everywhere when a monster or character gets hit is nice, as it shows the battle progress that has been going on.

And since this is a harem show, there's bound to be some ecchi, so here's the obligatory ecchi paragraph that I do with a show that has a great deal of fanservice. For the most part, the fanservice isn't all that obvious. However, because Hestia exists, we have some...ahem, interesting physics that go around this series. And because of Hestia's design, expect quite a few scenes like that from time to time.

In terms of sound, the Danmachi's OP and ED are good tracks, with a whimsical OP and a cheerful ED. Would I say they're memorable? Yes, I would agree that to an extent, they can be considered memorable. Are they masterpieces? Not really, but they're pretty fun songs nonetheless. In terms of music in the anime itself, there really isn't anything that's worth mentioning cause there isn't anything that I can actually recall hearing specifically.

Overview:
+ Decent animation
+ Good battle scenes
+ Memorable OP and ED

Personal Enjoyment (8.32/10): As a fan of RPGs and harems in general, Danmachi was a show that I knew for a fact suited my tastes in anime. Sure enough, I was right. Overall, my thoughts on Danmachi aren't really all that significant for it. It wasn't a show that had any thought provoking themes, it had flaws but not any grave ones that hampered the show a staggering amount, and it was overall, fun to watch.

Did I like this anime?

Yes I did. It really showcased the RPG element that it was based off of with Bell getting new gear and weapons, leveling up to get stronger, and getting to tougher areas, which really made the show very appealing to me. The characters were also quite fun seeing as how I'm a fan of MC's that are strong but not TOO strong (still kinda OP at the end though...), and how the overall feel of the show really gripped me into the story at times.

What didn't I like about this anime?

My biggest issue with this series is mainly with the personalities and screen time that a good chunk of the characters get. Hestia herself while great because of her obsessiveness over Bell, did get irritating at times, Aiz was great but didn't get featured as much as I would've liked, and Freya was just kind of...not there for 90% of the series. Plus those set of lines thrown in by Hermes at the end REALLY pisses me off. You don't end a series by putting in a crap ton of information that can allude to a season two, and then end it with a giant "fin" at the end, that's just not right J.C.!

Would I recommend this anime?

If you're a fan of RPG fantasy games like I am or you're looking for something fun to watch, I'd say Danmachi fits the bill pretty well. It's not a perfect series on account on some of its glaring issues and use of fanserive, but it's a fun show, but far from a masterpiece. A good show for a marathon on an afternoon of relaxation.

Overall Score: 7.50/10

Is it wrong to pick up girls in a dungeon? is the most misleading title in anime I've ever seen, and it sure was, because, with that tile, it seemed that it would be some harem/fan service show were our main character saves girls, they fall for him ans throw their boobs at his face because why not.

Well, I was 50% right at the harem/fan service part, although it is pretty different from the general harem as it was more of "I like him because of what he does and his noble intentions" and that's all, no lusty feelings (except for the "villain" of ... the series), but absolutely wrong about the main character, Bell, saving girls. In fact, the first thing we see is an amazing swordswoman kicking the ass of a minotaur in order to save Bell.

The series is set in a world where gods and goddesses descent from heavens to join humans, giving up their divine powers and establishing "familias", guilds in which adventurers join and receive the blessing of the god or goddess of that familia. Bell is part of the Hestia familia, which is one of the poorest of all, as he is the only member of that guild and the " headquarters" is just an old, tiny church.

The characters were the best part of the series. Bell is far more interesting than other characters, as his motivations are more human and feel natural. Besides, his powers actually have some kind of explanation, ome that goes along with the setting. And his relationship with Hestia is amazing! And yes, she's the boobilicious character that has appeared everywhere, but, to my surprise, that disn't define her character. The fan service was not a main part of the story, and that let Hestia and other girls feel like interesting characters with stories behind them, being two examples Liliruca and Ryu.

The animation was impressively good, being solid throughout the series. The battle in the middle part of the series one of the best of the year.

This is series I'd like to call the middle point between Log Horizon and SAO, as it has the characters and development of the first and the well done animation that define the second. This is a series I'd recommend to anyone looking for well done characters and relationships, and amazingly animated battles.

Don't miss it, and I hope that it gets a second season!

Is it Wrong to Have a Title for a Light Novel that is Not Two Lines Long and Describes the Premise of the Show with as Many Words as Possible?

Danmachi says no. It also has no problem being a shameless representation of what light novels are all about; not limited to the ridiculously long titles other books would use as the synopsis in the back cover. So yeah, what do otakus want today? Videogames? Ok. Lolis and tits? Fine. Some generic fantasy land with a generic main character, who is otherwise special? Sure. Just take a big marker and draw a fat vertical line in ... the checklist of clichés without bothering to verify anything, for Danmachi doesn’t try to exclude anything, or include anything more.

So why the hell am I even reviewing this thing if it’s so bland and mediocre? If it’s the way I describe it, then nobody will care about it and it would go unnoticed. OH I WISH THAT WAS THE CASE but it isn’t. Danmachi happens to be by far the most popular title of the season it came out. Not even the Fate / Stay Night hype was anywhere near the amount of attention this one got out of nowhere. And it won’t fade away from memory any time soon either, thanks to the obsessive nature of anime fans. For you see, all it takes for them to get excited, is to find a single thing that visually stands out. If they do, there is no end to what they will do with it. In Danmachi’s case, that would be a ribbon. Yes, you heard me, a ribbon. Just place it under your boobs and VOILA LET’S HAVE A QUATRILLION COSPLAYS ABOUT IT.

And thus came the plague of the endless Hestia cosplayers, who couldn’t stop dressing like her, or drawing her simplistic design, consisting of just a single colored white dress with a blue ribbon under her boobs. How the devil does that make her remotely interesting? Because she is a loli with huge breasts, skintight clothes that easily make her boobs and panties show, she has epic level powers to undo all damages, is obedient to the main character, lives with him in the same room, massages his body, hugs him as they sleep together, while being poor and frail, and needs someone to protect her! SHE IS MY WAIFU! COME HERE BRESTIA!

But come on, there has to be more to the character than that, right? I mean, she is a goddess for crying out loud, and there is a whole world of magic, deities, and dungeons out there. Isn’t she part of a much bigger scheme or something? … Yes, you are right, she is. She is a different incarnation of Asuna, the protagonist is another Kirito, the world is another Sword Art Online, and of course both stories are based on light novels. So as you see, Danmachi is a spin-off of one of the most famous anime of all times, that otakus consider a masterpiece. Thus all its fame is excused and well-earned.

… Wait, no it’s not. Danmachi is no spin-off of SAO. They also have very superficial similarities. Oh, that’s right, the protagonist is voiced by the same actor who did Kirito. The otakus are right; Danmachi is SAO! Also, just like all successful light novels such as SAO, it is full of interesting ideas, presented in the most basic way and never elaborated, so the fans can imagine any crap they like about them. The more specific the world becomes, the more solid it feels, which is exactly what we do not want from our power fantasies. We want them to be vague, so they will always bend to how we like them to be at any given moment.

This is also why our protagonist is so bland. We need to imagine him being as we are; the more personality he has, the harder it is to self-insert and believe we are him, as he goes around collecting harem girls. Because that is what we wish our lives were like; being loved by all the girls, even if we have no personality. But we also need to be able to win them somehow, and that is why we need a power no other man can possess. In the case of Bell, the hero of Danmachi, it’s a skill that makes him level up a trillion times faster than anyone else, and the ability to fuel his special attacks with the power of waifu love, so he can win against any opponent, regardless of how powerful he is. Sounds broken and unfair for everyone else, and also boring because you know the protagonist will always triumph by using asspulls? Yes, but who gives a crap if it makes you win all the time and get all the wet pussycats without having a personality?

I could spend a few paragraphs describing other characters, events, and areas, but I see no point in doing that, since they do not deserve it. Nobody else matters beyond the special blandness that is Bell, all other girls cover different fetishes but are otherwise no more interesting than Brestia, and all events follow the exact same pattern of being resolved with asspulls, regardless of their set-up or level of threat. The amount of thought put into the script, is one tenth of what I’ve spent in writing this review.

I could spend some digital ink in talking about the production values, but I also see no point in doing that if the actual show is so painfully uninteresting. No amount of pretty colors and nice sounds can make up for a crappy script or a stereotypical roster of meh characters. It’s ok looking and sounding if that is what you only care about in your power fantasies. But that is all it is.

Now go back to spending 30 seconds drawing Brestia and her boob ribbon. Do it while it’s still somewhat relevant. By the time the second season came out, most of the hype was gone, because the otakus jumped ship to some other generic power fantasy. Danmachi got lucky by coming out during a season that had nothing else to derp about, but once other derp things existed during the sequel, Brestia and her ribbon were already used toilet paper. She’s now a mostly dusty dakimakura, abandoned on a moisty basement after getting smeared with a gallon of otaku semen. It’s left there, as an exhibit of a time when anime fans had nothing better to do besides crossdressing as a loli with a blue ribbon under their fake boobs.

If you look at the top most helpful reviews of this anime, you'll mostly see 2s, 3s or 4s. I honestly don't get the amount of hate for this anime. It doesn't claim to be something very unique or groundbreaking, nor does it attempt to be. So rating it low just because you wanted it to be something it is not, when it never claimed to to be that, is absurd.

It's a fantasy action adventure comedy with fanservice, and it does its job well in that department. Sure, it has a cliché good guy main character, and most characters are clichés as well, but that ... doesn't necessarily make it a bad anime.

The story is decent and the pacing of the series is good. The animation is good and the music is okay. The sense of being in a fantasy MMORPG world is its main unique selling point for me. The journey of the main character and how he discovers himself while making allies and friends along the way is what I like about the anime.

If you're looking for a serious thought provoking anime, you're looking in the wrong place. It's a fun adventure of a guy who's in love and wants to become stronger to protect people/women set in a fantasy/MMORPG setting.

My "Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka" review.

My ratings:

Story: My Verdict, a poor 3.

Art: My Verdict, a Good 7

Sound: My Verdict, a mediocre 5.

... Character: My Verdict, a poor 3.

Enjoyment: My Verdict, a decent 4.

Overall: My Verdict, a Good 7.

Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka (DanMachi) or in English " Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?" .......Really, this was kind of title that authors Yasuda, Suzuhito and Oomori, Fujino came up with? Wtf are these Jap morons thinking of coming up with such title, that conflicts the anime/novel's plot? Ok, so did the MC guy picked up any girls in the dungeon??????Ans....NOOOOOO! In fact it wasn't him who picked up them girls, rather it's the other way around, we saw Hestia making him her first Familia member, we saw Liliruca who tricked her way to the MC guy's heart, Ryu Lion wasn't even part of the MC guy's harem, the MC guy's moment with Aiz Wallenstein, for the most part occurred outside of the dungeon and so on and so forth, so the story category of this anime.......(up) was so poor in almost everything that for the most part it relies a lot from the MC guy's relationship with his sponsor, Hestia. Ar (up)t, well considering that Hestia in her petite size is one cute loli whore, Aiz is pretty much the quintessential hot tough girl and Lion is one damned hot elf that very hot and it's all good, never mind the limited fanservice. Sound (up) I just don't have much to say about the VA's and the anime's ost, so a mediocre it is.

On the character category(up)...ok since its all about the MC guy, Bell Cranel , the thing about him was that he very much a typical adventurer who has some potential to be great, but the annoying part about him was how stupid is he when it comes to romance, also the way he was portrayed was that he was made to have a suppose relationship with Aiz, but the role of Hestia was a purposely assigned character to simply kept the MC guy in her grasp, which adds to my annoyance. As to Aiz Wallenstein, I just can't figure out as to why her character prevents her from competing for the MC guy's affection, it was such as waste that she wasn't in the last episode that would have added to the anime's action genre, also it was quite odd that her character was suppose to be with the MC guy, but instead the MC guy was made to have a loli romance and I'm referring to Hestia and Lili whom is the only one competing for the MC guy's affection. Let's not forget the other female character's like, Eina Tulle, Syr Flover and Ryu Lion who were suppose to be the MC guy's harem members but were not, pretty much they're more of an ambiguity than anything else, so pretty much the character category is as poor as poor. But, the enjoyment factor (up) was pretty decent despite of mu annoyance with the MC guy, so in an overall sense(Up) it was still all good to be watched, thought it can use a little more fanservice in it like some Hestia panty shots, but that's just me. PEACE!

If you've watched SAO, then you're wasting your time here. The level system is highly over-used and the story is nothing special. The art and sound are mediocre. There is a strong lack of character development (leveling up doesn't count). This, and MANY other cliches killed my enjoyment.




Also, getting REALLY tired of hearing the same fucker voice every MC.

Listen up son!!!

This anime is good, so good in fact that it prompted me to create an account on Myanimelist just so that I could write this review. Now, I won't pretend to be some sort of anime sommelier or connoisseur, but on purely based on that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you finish an anime, Familia Myth (lets call it that, it's shorter than "is it wrong to pick up chicks in a dungeon) is up there with some of the very best anime that I have ever seen. Here's why:

Storywise, this anime is good, not fantastic, but not average either. Obviously with ... this sort of anime, the hero is never in any real peril (or at least you know he isn't), but the way this show convinces you that the situations and events are gonna lead to Bell's untimely death is fantastic! This is largely what contributes to that sense of satisfaction at the end of each episode, and indeed the end of the season. Another nice aspect with the story is the way it plays with the RPG theme, I know others have said this, but it really does emulate that feeling of discovery when you first pick up a game, like you are enjoying the story vicariously through Bell. OH THE ENDING IS SO GOOD JUST WATCH IT (stereotypical but good).

In terms of characters this anime is also pretty darn good! Aside from Bell being the sort of stereotypical fairly plain hero personality-wise, the rest of the characters are all pretty cool, and are developed really well. The two criticisms I have are: One; Hestia is kind of weak as a character and fairly useless throughout, but in the second last episode she almost makes up for it, and Two; Welf could have been developed a bit more, and he was only present for a short while, but hopefully if there is a second season this could be resolved. Also Aiz and Bell's relationship could have been developed a bit more, but it was good aside from that. Overall characters in this anime are pretty strong, with a good showing of strong female characters (RYU FOR THE F****** WIN!!).

Character design was excellent. It was nice to see a main character that didn't just have black hair for once, digging the white on red colour scheme for bell. Lilli was also darn, really fit the supporting character image well! Oh also the fanservice was pretty tasteful (if you can even call it that) for an anime which has a girl with white sheet vacuum-formed to her breasts on the poster, and it never really obstructed the story's progression, which is always a plus, so points for that.

Sound design was actually flipping cool, this is definitely one to watch with a good pair of headphones on. A special mention goes to the ending theme song - holy crap it got me pumped for the next episode every time, and really added to the sense of enjoyment!

Speaking of which, in terms of enjoyment, this anime is up there with the best, each episode was really fulfilling and felt like it was contributing largely to the story's progression (also pacing was really good). THE ENDING HOLY SHIT THE ENDING - ok I have literally just finished watching it, so I am still full of those end of season feels, so I may be slightly swayed in favour of this anime, but seriously the ending was good. Just go watch this anime, please?

And there we have it, the end of the review. Overall This anime is really good, go watch it. I really hope it gets a second season!

The main story (8 of out 10) isn't great as right now as it is still trying to build up hype for the next season, but the little stories are actually pretty decent. You will be finding yourself constantly asking questions of the details that have been missed, but I believe the author main focus is the action and learning to grow up. Hopefully once season 2 hits, we'll get to main story of what's happening.

The art is definitely outstanding compared to most anime out there. The action scenes are extremely well done and they don't blur out like most anime when it comes ... to quick action scenes. It will show every detail of fighting of when they fight from dodging to attacking to casting magic. I would seriously only watch the anime instead of the manga because the manga doesn't justify all the actions that is happening in the anime.

Overall, I really did enjoy this anime as it was something new and the author tries to start something new that isn't part of the main stream. I would easily recommend this anime to any friends who are into action and adventure. Can't wait for season 2.

DanMachi is a perfect example of a successful formula applied in a very unoffensive, reasonably executed, and acceptable style. This is not a series that pushes any boundaries, or tries any original techniques. It is just a good series to highlight the state of Anime in mid-2015. It's not going to be winning any awards, but you could certainly do much worse.

- Story -

The first term that comes to mind with DanMachi is "formulaic." Not in a bad way mind you. It is a fairly nice formula, employed fairly effectively. The story is interesting enough that you don't want to toss it. Sure, it's the ... standard "becoming a hero" plot presented so blatantly that the series full on lampshades it. There's no suspense, and nothing to foreshadow. The hero is always the nice kid, he always has to overcome a challenge, and he always wins. The only real good thing to say here is that the story doesn't try to stick out. It takes you through the paces, shows you the scenes you would expect, when you would expect them, and then gets out of your way.

- Characters -

Fortunately the characters are a bit stronger. They are relatable enough that they don't feel artificial. Each of the main characters gets the obligatory story arc, with the obligatory story about how they are actually really good, but how they haven't been able to rise to their potential. All in all, they're fun little stories with satisfying resolutions. These certainly aren't the qualities of memorable characters, but they never really hit any sour notes either, which leaves a decently satisfying experience.

- Art -

The one area where the series stands out is the art. J.C.Staff was in good form with the art direction this time. The characters are unique and full of personality. Each certainly has their own style, and range of expressions. All the motions are really smooth and dynamic, and it's clear that a lot of work went into making them seem alive.

I think they could have done with a bit less of the fan service, but I suppose it's to be expected with this "RPG Game" genre that's been popular lately. My only real complaint in this department would be the backgrounds. There are a lot of boring caves and reused scenes for interiors. The few vistas the series treats us to are not particularly expansive or appealing. Fortunately these elements are played off in a way that puts the characters center stage, so I won't ding them too hard on it.

- Sound -

Another strong, arguably the strongest area, is the sound direction. The musical score marches the feel and direction of the anime very well, and the orchestral rendition through the entire series give it a nice, uplifting feel. The sound effects are also top notch. You can always expect to hear a fair bit of atmosphere, while the actual primary actions are always sharp, and never blur with the rest of the sound. The voices suit the characters, and the performances are very professional. Unfortunately given the somewhat shallow story you never get to see the actors put to the test, but I won't count off for that.

- Overall -

In all I think the series is fairly enjoyable. It's a nice series to watch if you have a few hours here and there, and you don't have anything more pressing to do. It won't load you up with heavy concepts and stories, and it won't be too cheesy that you turn away in disgust. Just a nice safe middle ground. There are even nods to other popular series interspersed throughout, and it's a fun challenge trying to recognize them. Give it a try if you simply want a light series for casual watching. Maybe watch it in between marathon sessions of deep, emotional, complex stuff to clear you palate.

If there was a negative score, I would have happily given this anime a "-100" score. I mean who made this apalling anime.
At first I tried to watch it, then I gave up and tried to rewatch it again. But I couldn`t. It was so hard for me to finish this anime. This anime is the cringiest, has no plot and is out of touch with basic human emotions.

Every two episodes you will come across a scene that makes wish this anime doesn`t exist. Let me give you an example. A supporter girl betrays mc by cheating, stealing, attacking and luring him into a trap ... that she set. MC being gullable still looks for that girl to ensure her safety. MC is striken down by monster then that girl steals valuables from mc. Mc just watches the girl stealing the stuff and running away. Later that same girl is attacked by other monsters, mc saves her and says it doesn`t matter you betrayed me, I saved you because you are a girl. Next day, he recruits her in his party.

The above is just one of many scenes that you would expect when you watch this stupid anime. This anime makes Boku no Pico look like masterpiece.

DanMachi is a show that doesn't try to be much of anything other than a decently entertaining watch to pass the time (and to drum up light novel sales, but that's another story).

The story is nothing to write home about. To try and make it seem like DanMachi is doing something original with the players getting trapped in a video game premise, because for all intents and purposes, the real world IS the video game. Granted, it is fairly interesting seeing simple gaming terms such as leveling up and skills being name dropped in a setting that isn't actually a video game, but it ... still doesn't make it any more original. I really do like the setting though. It isn't that much more special than your typical anime fantasy setting, but it coincides well with other plot points such as the gods and goddesses.

The actual plot is about as simple as you can get. Our main character, Bell Cranel, wants to become a hero and get stronger so a girl who was much stronger than him at ep 1 will respect and fall in love with him. No seriously, that's it. You really can't get much more of a paper thin plot than that.

The characters are actually worse off than the story if you can believe it. Bell Cranel has many noticeable character flaws, but to his credit, there are some things done to alleviate a few of his problems. Even though he is extremely overpowered after a while, and a bunch of stupid powerful skills and weapons get asspulled out of nowhere to make him ever more powerful, the simple fact that he starts off with basically nothing makes him a little better off. He and his goddess, Hestia, have little to nothing, and his determination to get off the ground and get stronger makes the whole "become a hero" plot thing have more humility and humbleness. Unfortunately, there isn't really anything to alleviate his massive case of harem syndrome, where almost every single female (keep in mind most of the cast is female, probably to drive home this sole fact) has at least a crush on him. It's silly and unrealistic, but there isn't much you can do with a harem to begin with, so I won't harp on it too much.

Hestia was the talk of the town in the anime community for a while with her character design. Apparently combining big boobs with the loli stature and a boob ribbon makes for a riveting character. She does get some decent development early on with her earnest dedication to help Bell as much as she can, but loses lots of screentime after the halfway point, making her character feel fairly insignificant as time goes on.

Other than that, there is an incredibly large cast of characters, and many of them have little to nothing other than their standard sole character trait, but I'll quickly explain my thoughts on some of the more prominent ones.

I think they went too far with Lili to the point where I couldn't reason with her actions even though they were explained. I get her lack of trust, but it doesn't make sense to me that she would still try to actively hurt Bell after how honest Bell was (Bell was stupid about the situation too, but it kind of comes with the territory with characters of his nature).

Welf's whole thing with magic weapons didn't really make sense.

Quiet characters can make some of the best characters if written well, and Aiz wasn't interesting. She was just plain boring. Ryu was a little better off, but not by much.

For the most part, the art looks like typical J.C. Staff fare. That's not really a bad thing, it just has that very soft and faint look that a lot of there shows have. The animation definitely has it's high points though. There weren't many, but there were a couple of fight scenes were really well choreographed with great use of camera work. Bell's fight with a minotaur was easily the best part of the whole series because it not only utilized those elements well, it also created perfect tension. I mean, you know Bell is gonna win, but it certainly doesn't hinder your show to give him a losing perspective from time to time, now does it?

Even though the show doesn't try to do much, and also has a great deal of flaws, I still managed to enjoy it for what it was. Even though the story and characters were weak, the simple fact of it being set in a fantasy world with game mechanics and some good fight scenes makes even the most mediocre of shows such as this still bearable. Call me a pleb if you must, but sometimes I just can't help myself. I still wouldn't really recommend this to most people unless you are like me and just like the idea of RPG anime.

Looking at the top 4 written reviews for this anime shows scores of between 3-5 which I feel is a very unfair rating for this series.

I went into the anime thinking this would be full of ecchi and fanservice but honestly ended up enjoying this series far more than I thought I would. Whilst there is some fanservice, it really isn't as bad as I thought it would be.

The story itself is simple and treads a fairly familiar path of a young adventurer who starts of weak but has hidden potential quite apart from a kind and moral heart. The beauty of the story ... however lies in how relatable the characters are and the chemistry of the leads. With simple stories, it is not just about the premise but the execution that counts - to that end, the main characters are just a lot of fun.

In general I don't really care about art and sound unless they are exceptionally good or bad. In this case, they serve the series well in making us care for the characters and enjoy watching them develop and grow.

Whilst this anime is not lifechanging nor particularly thought provoking, it does it's job of holding your attention and providing entertainment throughout the series with no real flaws or particular disappointments. Perhaps the only downside is the short single cour ending leaving a feeling of lack of completion. I sincerely hope that there is a second season because this feels like a 2 cour anime at least to allow an opportunity for some resolution of plot points.

In summary, don't let the poor written reviews or your pre/misconceptions about the title and style of anime put you off.

If you watch it, the vast majority of you will enjoy it's light hearted style and have a fun time watching it. I know that I certainly didnt feel that I wasted my time watching this series and can recommend this anime if you are looking for a charming series to fill your time with!

Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka, also known as Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, is an anime series that takes viewers on a thrilling adventure through the depths of a dangerous dungeon. With its unique blend of action, comedy, and fantasy elements, the series offers a captivating and enjoyable viewing experience.


The animation quality of Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka is visually appealing, bringing the world of Orario to life with vibrant colors and detailed backgrounds. The character designs are distinctive and well-crafted, perfectly capturing the essence of each character ... and their individual quirks. The action sequences are dynamic and well-animated, providing exciting battles that keep viewers engaged throughout the series.


The plot follows the young adventurer Bell Cranel as he navigates the treacherous depths of the dungeon in search of wealth, power, and a chance encounter with someone special. The series strikes a balance between lighthearted moments of comedy and intense moments of danger, creating a sense of adventure and unpredictability. The world-building is well-executed, with the dungeon itself serving as a captivating and mysterious backdrop.


The characters in Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka are diverse and memorable, each with their own motivations and backstories. Bell Cranel, the protagonist, is a relatable and endearing character who undergoes significant growth throughout the series. The supporting characters, such as the skilled swordswoman Ais Wallenstein and the mischievous goddess Hestia, add depth and charm to the overall narrative.


The series explores themes of friendship, determination, and self-discovery as the characters face challenges and forge bonds in the dangerous dungeon. The character relationships are well-developed, and the interactions between the various factions within Orario provide intrigue and depth to the story.


The soundtrack of Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka complements the series well, enhancing the overall atmosphere and adding emotional depth to key moments. The opening and ending themes are catchy and memorable, capturing the essence of the series and leaving a lasting impression.


While the series is enjoyable and engaging, it may not appeal to those seeking a complex and intricate plot. Some viewers may find the occasional fanservice elements of the series distracting or unnecessary.


In conclusion, Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka is an entertaining and thrilling anime series that combines action, comedy, and fantasy elements to create a captivating viewing experience. With its strong animation, well-developed characters, and engaging plot, it offers an enjoyable adventure through the depths of the dungeon of Orario.

I'll keep it simple since I'm no good with writing long texts.

I really enjoyed watching Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon (DanMachi). I almost gave it an overall score of 10, but it think it lackes "the little extra". However, it was good enough for me to read the manga, which is something I only do with the animes that I think is REALLLLY good (In other words. I couldn't wait for the continuation).

The truth is, I really enjoy animes that take place in game-like worlds. I also like animes where the characters can level up (literally). And DanMachi ... has both them, so... Yeey.

Review summary:
I like DanMachi very much. Try it yourself.

This review's more for personal use but feel free to read it and criticize what I liked/didn't like about this anime.
SPOILERS**

First off let me just say I'm coming straight from watching the final episode and damn the fight scene was epic. I normally don't really care about the actual action itself I always think about the consequences of the fight for example if someone's going to beat the army general and win the battle or something. This fight scene though I was enthralled by everyone and I don't really know why.

To be honest though the ending didn't really wrap anything up it opened up ... some more questions specifically about who Bell is and what the god's have to do with the dungeon.

Some things about the characters, I think that all the characters are quite good when you get rid of some of the females obsession's with Bell. Bell is a bit cliché as a main character but I'm a fan of that so It's ok, Lilly has quite a nice background to her and i think they made a solid character with her. Aiz is a strange character and they didn't elaborate enough on her I thought so she's kinda just Bell's trainer/idol/love interest?, the rest of the character I thought were fine I liked Welf too he was interesting to find out about.

I didn't pick any flaws in the animation in fact I thought it was pretty good, some of the particle effect's looked great, the music was good, they managed to set the mood quite well and the OP and the ED are catchy but not enough for me to look for afterwards.

One thing to look out for which is pretty obvious from the name of the show, fan service, it's there but honestly I think it's at acceptable levels the only thing that really bothered me was the silly rivalry between Hestia and Lily.

I really do think this show needs a season 2, Gods be just that it's not like countless other season 2's that just fail on all accounts.

8.8/10 (Last fight scene boosted this by about .5)

After seeing "Sword Art" i had lost all hope in watching an anime that involved gaming characteristics(as of 2010's on).My main problem with "SAO" is that it was rushed through,therefore making the actual anime shit.The games themselves were not a bad concept though,however alot of people get these two mixed up and rate "SAO" high instead of rating the game concepts.When ‘DanMachi’ was announced i didn't know what to expect,hell i didn't even know what kinda anime it was going to be.The name alone kept my attention for months until it actually aired,after seeing the first episode i still wasn't all that sure about it.However ... i continued to watch it and was hooked by the end of episode 2.After watching all 13 episodes i have to say that my faith in gaming anime has been restored.It does have some what of a simple story for now but its really hard not to enjoy,making it an individual standing out from the crowd.Plus it's gradually easing through the story not being rushed.The characters are unique enough that you may find yourself attached to some of them by the end of 13 eps (Witch is pretty good considering some animes have 20+ eps with no good characters) .The way the gaming characteristics are is truly unique and entertaining," Omori Fujino" really stepped outside of the box when making this.As far as the graphics go J.C. staff did an excellent job.Now alot of people are saying stuff like "big boobs every where" but honestly they must watch nothing but gradeschool anime girls(they may fall over dead if they watch something like Ikki tousen).In "DanMachi" there are quite a few female characters(MC and non MC) that all have different size funbags(as desert punk would say).I guess people just can't use peripheral vision anymore.Anyways with all that being said i would have to say "DanMachi" may very easily end up being a timeless classic like "Cowboy Bebop" in its uniqueness of course.So if you haven't seen "DanMachi" i highly recommend that you do.

If you're looking for something with a intricate plot line, deep character development, and dialog on par with classic novels you are going to be disappointed because that is not what DanMachi is nor is it what it is trying to be. The spectrum of anime appeals to quite a few niches and for the one DanMachi is shooting for it does an excellent job. If you take anime seriously you might call this show a guilty pleasure. If you've seen every anime comedy/action trope a hundred times across hundreds of similar anime and still find ... yourself laughing and appreciate it when it is well done then DanMachi is an anime I feel executes that well.
I enjoyed this show the same way I enjoyed Prison School, just as something light-hearted, with likable characters, a healthy dose of fan service, some intense moments, a main character who isn't a whiny bitch, and plenty of laughs. For what it is, DanMachi did a great job as far as I'm concerned. No it's not Brotherhood, Steins;Gate, or whatever you feel is the apex of anime story telling but it doesn't need to be and accomplishes what I feel it set out to be. As always there's no accounting for personal taste.

Is it wrong to pick up girls in a dungeon?

This anime is action packed and full of laughs. There is a really nice story line to the anime and the proper motivation to give the viewer all the motivation needed to back the main character.

I like to compare this story to Sword Art Online only in the sense that the character must fight dungeon monsters and party up to take down larger bosses. In fact, I love how much more realistic this anime is in comparison, because this dungeon world is real life to them.

Story - 8/10 Plenty of motivation to continue watching, though ... the characters main goal is not concrete.
Graphics - 9/10 Very cool, modern artwork pushing the characters to perform human-like movements.
Personas - 9/10 Most characters had a unique background to them and their own reasons for fighting/existing.
Sexiness - 100%
Voice Acting - 9/10 Good tone and fluctuation in the Japanese voices to really implant that emotion into the characters.
Soundtrack - 8/10 Proper placement of battle/emotional/town music.

Overall - 9/10
Recommended: Absolutely!

Score: 6.4

First thing's first, if you haven't already watched an anime in the VRMMO-type category (including SAO, Accel World, or Log Horizon, to name a few) then watch one of those first, to see just about everyone else's perspective.

Art: 8 - The character and enemy models generally aren't the greatest, compared to anime that came out a few years before it, but the environments and effects are done well enough. I like that the character models are somewhat differentiated.

Sound: 8 - I'm not the best judge of this category, but the intro song is alright and the sound effects match the action well enough ... that I suppose it deserves an 8/10.

Story: 4 - Here's where the anime goes wrong. Just about everything that's done here is a clone of any number of other anime. There are many shots of a tower in the distance, but instead the story focuses on a dungeon, which goes down. Not very logical, now is it? The workings of this anime are similar to VRMMO-type anime, where there are levels and respawns and such, but it never explicitly tells you that they're in a VRMMO. Instead, they tend to take matters very seriously and present this as the real world, just with goddesses everywhere. They actually get some of the lore mixed up, as at first they were showing off some gods as goddesses (ex: Hephaestus), so I thought "I guess they just wanted to be consistent," but then they introduced us to Hermes, a male god. This anime has a lot of missing backstory (why are there walls? Are there any other towns, etc.) and left a lot of things to be resolved in the second season, which I suppose is alright. Hopefully that season or an OVA or two will explain the story better. For right now, it just drops the viewer in, expecting them to understand everything that's going on.

Characters: 4 - The characters in this anime are very cliche, they fulfill the typical harem roles, that is to say, one alpha and a dozen soulless betas. Other than a few main characters, and perhaps Ryuu, the characters have no personality. In fact, one of the characters (Aiz Wallenstein) is a clone of Mashiro Shiina from Sakurasou, just a pro fighter instead of a pro artist. The characters in this anime are one of its weakest, if not the weakest, point.

Enjoyment: 8 - I like this anime. That is because I play games first, watch anime second. If you are not like me, then you will likely be annoyed this anime exists. There is sometimes too much fan service (such as bouncing boobs in the beginning of every episode), and there are quite a few cliches, but overall it's okay. I watched it in a marathon, and wouldn't mind seeing a season 2 to tie things up.

Overall: 6.4 - Unoriginal ideas, but a few good points make this a decent show. If you like games and/or VRMMO-type anime, then I'd say watch this. It's not the best, but it satisfies.

This review is for the ENTIRE season!!!!

INTRO: The story takes place in a world called Orario. In this world a popular spot to travel and gain high status is by entering and conquering levels within a dungeon. This dungeon contains an assortment of monsters where adventurers, which are the people that embark in these quests into the dungeon, go to defeat these creatures to gain access to their droppings, which in this case are shards. These shards are used to craft magical items and weapons, and can also be exchanged for currency. Some of the residents of Orario join Familias, which are clans ruled by ... a diety. The adventurers are ranked by a letter level system, which allows them to gain experience, therefore becoming stronger and gaining new abilities.

Sort of sounds like a RPG, but in this case, it’s their real life.

PLOT: The story revolves around a young boy of the name, Bell Cranel. Unlike the rest of the citizens of Orario, this boy comes with a unique set of skills that are later unlocked as the plot progresses. He is the only member of the Familia Hestia, as a result, he has to work harder when questing in the dungeon. After an incident in the dungeon, a world known adventurer of the name, Aiz Wallenstein, has to come save Bell. After being saved by Aiz, he falls in love with her and vows to become as strong or stronger than her, so that he may be the one to save his loved ones.

The plot mainly revolves around the aspects of maturity, strength, integrity, and passion. With Bell never wanting to give up and setting aside his failures and embarrassments, he makes new friends that join him along his adventure to have him seek the glory he so much deserves. Conquering dungeons and defeating monsters stronger than him, Bell creates a name for himself, as a result bringing fame and new enemies.

ANIMATION & SOUND: The animation for DanMachi is superb. It is vibrant, colorful, friendly, and down right awesome. The music never lacks either! Every single scenario, whether goofy and fun, serious and passionate or a battle amongst adventurers and dungeon monsters, the original soundtrack and fluidity of the animation make it come to life.

CHARACTERS: DanMachi comes with a set of generic and unique characters and personalities.
I may find it difficult not to like Bell, but he sometimes can get on your nerves. I blame the naïve tendency the author chose for him, aside from that he is marvelous main character. It might have taken some time to show his true potential, but believe me when I say that it is worth the wait! There is also Hestia, a loli Goddess with the body of a grown woman! While being a sight for sore eyes, Hestia is an energetic and amazingly kind and supporting Goddess to her Familia. She takes up the role of supporter within a few episodes and it makes her relatable to real life situtaions, but despite being mature and dependable, she is also a jealous and somewhat lazy Goddess. Her love for Bell makes it a fun and friendly venture through this series. Welf Crozzo is a straight-forward and honest person. Lili has a double personality where one shows off despising herself and the other is cheerful and positive. Aiz is caring and supportive. So a unique cast in certain, but generic in aspects of, “we have seen this before”.
Don’t worry, it hardly disturbs the progression of the plot and character development. This might be me, nitpicking.

CONS: I have very few problems with this anime in general, but with this being a review, I must not be biased and address the issues I had when watching it. I felt some of the battle scenes could have a dragged an extra episode. Towards the end where Bell and company are fighting against the level 5 dungeon monster that appeared on the 18th floor, it seemed too rushed and the montage of still-framed battle scenes took away from the emotional rush I had felt during Bell’s battle against the altered minotaur and the level 5 monstrosity. I also didn’t like Bell’s childish approach to the females’ affection towards him. I wish he had more of a confident personality and took advantage of openings, because at this moment, sure he is in love with Aiz, but I felt that there could have been a change in affection and he would have gained new feelings for other female characters, due to the lack of interaction between he and Aiz.

OVERALL: I will give this anime an 8/10. This anime gave me a lot of excitement. It had me wishing the week we go by because it would always leave you in a nice cliffhanger. The character development and plot worked smoothly with each other and backed themselves up, never leading us to a dead end. It never dragged and keep it’s momentum at an all time high. It ended how it started, amazing.

Check out my channel for the same review, but with added scenes and music from the anime. :]
www.youtube.com/projektbaka