Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka IV: Fuka Shou - Yakusai-hen

Looking back on a now completed season 4 of Danmachi, I have nothing but praise for the work J.C staff did. After a decent first season and a subpar second, Seasons three and four have been sure and steady improvements. Culminating in the masterclass that is Danmachi IV Part 2.

J.C Staff have rightfully taken a lot of criticism for their handling of beloved Light Novel Franchises. My main gripes with them were the excessive cuts to the source material, pacing issues and quality control issues. Danmachi season 1 was an ok adaptation. It rushed some aspects of the story but was largely serviceable. Season ... 2 honestly need not have existed with the way it handled the arc. Starting in season 3, whether by staff change or just production committee demands, it’s clear that JC staff focus shifted. They started taking their time with the characters and world more. I have zero complaints with how season 4 was handled quality wise. This was the most important arc for Bell’s individual development and a fan favourite arc from the LNs which has earned near universal praise. It was essential that this got done justice and the studio did just that.

I absolutely loved the dark and gritty atmosphere in this season. Coming from the more upbeat and cheery type of stuff we got in the past, this more mature story was a welcome shift. The drama and tension in every episode was palpable and had me on the edge of my seat. The battle against the Juggernaut was as intense as you could ask for. The fact Bell and his familia were separated forced his familia members to have to grow a lot on their own and push their own limits, as well as him as an individual. I loved the emphasis on Bell and Ryu’s relationship in this season as well. Ryu is a character I truthfully did not really care for much until this arc and the studio really did showcased just how multi-faceted she is. She and Astrea familia’s backstory was handled well and seeing her icy exterior slowly, but surely melt away during every episode was a joy. The personal dynamics between characters is really where this season shined and I’m sad to see it go honestly, but at the same time hopeful that the studio will replicate this quality in future seasons.

So, pacing and adaptation wise Danmachi IV 2nd cour was a massive improvement, but how was the technical stuff? Well, I feel like it was great. There was a lot of action this season between Bell and Ryuu fighting for survival and the Hestia Familia’s battle on the upper floors and the fight scenes all looked really good to me. The hype moments had sakuga, emotional voice acting and some nice choreography. Art remained consistent throughout and the OST for this season was great too.

Really can’t overstate how much I enjoyed this cour of Danmachi. It’s one of the better LN adaptations you’ll see and it came at the perfect time. Here’s to hoping J.C Staff apply what they figured out here to other projects going forward.

Danmachi IV 2nd Cour gets 10/10.

** spoiler free, brief summary **

1. Story is great in my opinion, but that doesn't matter because storytelling does not suit very well with it. There's like three story lines in 20 min episodes and in the end none of them has satisfying progress, which makes it boring quite a bit. I dont think forcing two or three complex story lines in one episode is a good idea.

2. Art is nice as always, although I think they could do better job with CGI and some monsters. In the end, most of it is pretty enough.

3. from music I'm getting some strong Star Wars vibes and ... that wouldn't be so bad, if it would be used for epic or big moments only. There are some scenes where I think something lighter should be used, because from their music judgment, there is not so much of a difference between important moments and smaller. Overall I would rate music as good, but I wish they would use it better

4. characters are quite complex and I get why they need so much spot in episodes.
But are they interesting? - I would say yes but not every character shine in the spotlight. It's not so big of a deal till they are together, because they can compliment the story very well, but compliment the story is important sentence and you can feel it when they are separated.

Overall I think there are moments worth to watch, but it's not filled with progress, so naturally there are moments not so much worth to watch also. I don't think I can recommend it, but it's not bad enough to discourage you from watch it. I may change opinion and probably will when all episodes come out. Also, mind this review is for first 4 episodes and its early impression
Edit: It did get way better in further episodes and second half is like completely different anime. It fixed exactly what was wrong, but my review for fist 4 episodes stands. Now it's actually worth of recommendation. I'll give its 7/10 cause of bad start

DanMachi is back for its 2nd split-cour session of Season 4 that continues to reel in the love-hate relationship of the audience, being followers but not converters towards novelist Fujino Omori's dungeon harem series. That, with the 2nd half, raised the stakes even further into the balancing game act of hope and despair with death flags placed all over wherever Bell Cranel and Co. will go in the deep troughs of the Dungeon's Deep Floors.

For the 2nd half of Season 4, titled the Deep Chapter: Calamity Arc, the prophecy of despair continues with the adaptation of one single volume: the lone Volume 14 of the ... LN, featuring Bell Cranel and the Astraea Familia's Ryuu Lion on the objective to get home after being trapped and separated from the Hestia Familia in the hopes of subjugating Ryuu's nemesis Familia: the anti-Orario faction Evilus-led Rudra Familia. Both the Astraea and Rudra families have always been at loggerheads with one another, until the latter familia devised a plan to eradicate the entire former familia in the Dungeon, that failed and saw the accidental summoning of the Juggernaut that started a killing spree, leaving only Jura and Ryuu as the only survivors from their perspective familias.

For context, the dragon-like Juggernaut spawns as a part of the dungeon's defense mechanism every time the Dungeon suffers from excessive damage, wherever necessary (except the upper floors because of Ouranos's influence). While it has tremendous strength and speed with razor-sharp claws and armor that can reflect magic, it also has poor defenses to physical attacks, and its strength varies depending on which floor it emerges, with deeper floors producing stronger monsters. Rather than having a magic stone like most monsters, it is designed to disintegrate after a certain period of time. And this is where both Jura and Ryuu's revenge story continues with the Dungeon's utter devastation of utilizing the Juggernaut for total destruction upon enemies, fuelled by anger and hatred to kill one another until the last man/woman standing. As usual, Bell and the Hestia Familia are there to understand why Ryuu the Gale Wind was branded as a murderer, and though they've come far in Part 1, the despair that awaits both Bell and Ryuu, trapped down the rabbit hole towards the infamous 37th Floor that's nicknamed the White Palace, nothing awaits them of the tragedy even just for mere survival of the fittest, with strong monsters and little to no hope of ever getting out alive. Sure, they can try their best, but the numerous death flags chase after each and everyone involved in this endeavour, which if you've known DanMachi's standard by now, will be increasingly brutal with high stakes of life and death.

As such, Part 2 sees both Bell and Ryuu bonded together, fighting through adversity to force their way through against strong monsters while looking for a way out in the White Palace, the part of the Dungeon that's only a hearsay, because most typical adventurers would just simply die with even the most prepared of ammunitions and resources that they have. And even for a Level 4 standard, it's basically overkill for both the compassionate Hero and the Gale Wind elf to be easily overwhelmed by even against monsters with insta-kill abilities. Both of them hold the weight of their own world, the sins and expectations to reach back towards the surface in one piece, so the objective of getting it out alive is as desperate as it is heartfelt to see the both of them grow alongside one another with the ever-so-lucid dream that they could make it out to tell the story. Also, though the Rabbit's Foot himself lives up to the standard of the series of "picking up girls" in the Dungeon, out of all of them, Ryuu has got to be the closest thus far as she is a woman of few words, only speaking when she needs to and guiding the Juggernaut Hero himself along to the tunes of her combat. I'd even go as far as to sail the Bell x Ryuu ship, because it's so heartfelt of their treacherous journey, and to come this far, if there was ever a suitable partner for Bell, forget Ais Wallenstein, forget the big boobs Goddess Hestia herself, Ryuu checks his boxes of the never-giving-up spirit and camaraderie.

J.C.Staff's production still holds up the same as Part 1, though I did see a bit more complaints that there were more static shots, and even at this point, I'm not surprised for the par of the course that this will happen intermittently. All that's worth for in the franchise are heart-wrenching, gut-punching moments that matter, and DanMachi has never failed to deliver its best that is constantly improving over time. Saori Hayami and sajou no hana swapped places with Part 2's OST, and though I've also come to expect that the OPs in the franchise get more generic with age, the EDs however, get better and more profound with symbolism. Whereas Saori Hayami's OP trains the audience to prepare for disaster, sajou no hana's ED, is quite frankly, the best out of the entire franchise, symbolizing hope for the future amidst crushing defeat and the adversaries of death. I especially love the lead-in towards the soothing chorus, along with the accompanying visuals that make for a killer combo, showing that even at death's throes, there is a glimmer of hope shining upon everyone.

If you've been with the DanMachi franchise for long, the build-up since Spring 2015 that's almost 8 years now and the series's 10th year running, it's a series that like many contemplaries, has its up and downs. But if competing with the modern juggernauts like the Shonen market, DanMachi is fantasy anime at its finest, continuing to push boundaries and shooting for the skies with novelist Fujino Omori's brillance at concocting a series that progresses, looks back and paints a rather big world together, even down to the most minute of details.

If you like it, you will ABSOLUTELY love the ending from the season's 2nd part, and vice versa if the series is bad or mid for you, there's no obligation if you've been here for the franchise either since Day One or came in from recommendations over the years.

But if you ask me, DanMachi taken now as a whole, is described in words of one: stellar, marvellous, and most certainly, outstanding entertainment at its peak. Come one, come forth for Season 5 if they decide to have it in the future. I'm ready for more.

If you like fantasy, action, comedy, harem, and every other good stuff mixed in one masterpiece you get Danmachi.

As a fan of Danmachi, I was extremely excited for the fourth season because it adapted one of the most interesting volumes from the Light novels, and I must say that it did not disappoint. What made this season particularly special was the fact that the best girl of the series, Ryu, was finally given the spotlight she deserved. It was refreshing to see her take center stage and become the main character of the season. Saori Hayami flawlessly portrayed Ryu's complex and nuanced character.

The track ... record of JC staff on Danmachi is not that good, we got a banger season 1 and then they cut out half of the story in the following seasons. This is not the case this season, we finally get a really good adaptation this series deserves.

This season of Danmachi showcased the full glory of the dungeon and introduced many new and interesting monsters. The fight scenes were incredibly well-animated and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout each episode. Danmachi is not just a typical fantasy harem anime. It has depth and substance, and this season showcased that beautifully. Every episode felt like it flew by, and I was always left craving more. I'd like to thank all the people who worked on this season for giving us this masterpiece and thank you very much Fujino Ōmori for writing this series.

I was happy to see Syr make an appearance at the end of the season. I really hope we get to see a new season adapted because the next part of the story is going to be just as insane.

Danmachi is always a 10/10 anime.

Please dont listen to the haters, IDK why people are bashing this like its not one of the best if not the best season so far.

1. the character development is unreal this season putting some of the characters in real situations forcing them to think in a way they are not use to. ( dont want to spoil anything since ive read the manga and such)

2. animation as per usual is great with even subtle things being more detailed this season like the blood.

3. They will explain everything that happens in this season dont fret.

4. Sounds must have got an upgrade cause dang they ... have done an excellent job with the audio for effects.

best thing i can advise is if you liked this series then give it a watch but be more mindful this one is taking a more serious tone and i mean much more serious. if thats not your cup of tea then i would skip.

As of the first 3 episodes into Season 4 part 2 we can see our main group have found themselves in quite the predicament. The atmosphere they're currently in from Bell dropping into the way lower floors to the main group fighting I forgot the name, but I'ma say Water Hydra. It really makes you feel all hope is lost. And it's constantly told through the pessimistic girl, and just reading the situation. But of course part of the entertainment in this story is seeing how they'll overcome these current obstacles. We also know nothing much of the deeper floors. What kind of monsters lie ... down there. Will the group survive going into territory that lv.4 people hardly go in. When they themselves are a group ranging from lv.1-3 with one lv.4 person.

Overall: The atmosphere has clearly gotten tougher, which makes this situation so much more interesting, and all the more exciting Definitely recommend

I'll be honest, part one of season 4 had me sleep. I wasn't really enjoying it until the last few episodes.

But now part two, I don't know what happened but it just randomly got really good!
I'll try my best to describe in a TLDR fashion so bear with me. The situation and plot the characters are in is somewhat predictable. Yet the execution and pacing is perfectly captivated. There's not a moment when I think something is overdone and the character interaction is on point, I find that they also give the appropriate amount of screen time for the characters that need it most.

The story: ... 8. The way it's going you can't really complain.

Characterization: 10. It's crazy how quickly the characters truly feel "alive". It's as though their humanity (General humanity term) is true.

Art: 8. great as always, some animation has improved.

Writing: 9. I think it's super well done, and I have no issues thus far.

Pacing: 9. Never feels like anything lasts longer than needed

-After enduring the torture of watching Danmachi 2&3's harem crap, I was finally healed by Danmachi 4's two parts, which presented the whole story with a narrative battle that wasn't solely focused on the MC showcasing his strength.

-Strategic and organized battles similar to those in RPG games, making monsters in dungeons look formidable, and a storyline where you cannot predict whether a character will survive or die.

-While I had a few complaints. Overall, I am very satisfied with this show.

-For those who watched parts 2 and 3 and dropped it, I suggest trying to push through a little more for part 4, which is ... very satisfying.

The story has crawled to a snail's pace. The show no longer has anywhere near the whimsical character interaction of previous seasons, which is a particularly important thing that was propping this already rather poor anime up. Instead we're meant to take all of the characters very seriously now because of the situation, but I find myself preferring that about half the cast just kicked the bucket so I could stop listening to their terrible dialogue. The healer... I really don't think I've ever liked a character less. Won't be getting back into this one unless I find out it gets significantly better. It's a ... shame.

The fisrt season of danmachi was a 7/10 it was good and entertaining, the second was around a 7/10 was more of the same with some better points, the third for me had an interesting idea but overall was a 5/10... Mediocre, more of the same if not worse, i was conviced i was going to be a bad series for ever, the first half of the forth season was a 7/10 to my surprise, they got a good comeback story wise and a good hook to the plot, characters were build better, made me care for then a little bit more, they had a ... good evolution in skill as well, was better than just a simple power up at least, overall they came back to the same quality they had on the other seasons, the second part of the forth season though, im givin a solid 9/10, and here we go.


If there is ever a good season of danmachi is this one, oh god im glad i have watched this

Characters were way more developed, they had time to shine, the characters that needed attention had it, every single one had space and time, made me care more about then, see then as real ppl with feelings and intentions, more than the MC to be honest, loved to see the internal conflict on welf and lily, the evolution on makoto was good to see, and i cant even get started with best girl elf waifu

There isnt a super amazing plot twist, nor and super smart plot overall, but is reaaaly well made, loved to see the evolution on this anime and how great it was to watch this season, the Pace of the episodes was nice and it felt like it was giving us enough, didnt over fed us nor gave us too little, battles was good, not amazing but it was nice, had a more serious tone and delivered what it needed in the best way possible, it wasnt a masterpiece as it had its flaws and for sure could be better animated but, elf waifu carried this season and honestly bell wasnt the main point at all, i liked this, bell is a character that lacks developtment and is very shallow overall, getting the elf on the spotlight was a 10/10 decision, if this anime had a better plot and a better MC it could be a 9 anime overall, that and a better animation haha, but well still this was a great season.

Final thoughs: elf banzai

This season is the actual definition of mixed feelings. The things I hated were so mundane and redundant, and the things I loved were so few but so special. This is how I felt it in a nutshell.

Looking back to previous seasons, the level of my distaste in this series was up to the point where I chose to actually continue watch it instead of dropping it, but the rest was pretty awful. The problem being it was too fan-service oriented, with too little good storytelling. It's not really praiseworthy to expect that the latest season be the best so far in terms of story ... and picture quality. But it's a relief it is! Knock on wood, but relative to what we've seen so far, it seems to me the production team actually tried to learn from past mistakes and improve in their delivering and content. What I mean by that is that the first season started on a silly note, it continued with a second season that was awful to the point you stopped caring who are the new characters anyway, a season three that was a rehashed plot with monsters for a change, and a forth season (part 1) that was...um...what was it about? Pretty forgettable, although I've seen the latter recently. Something about the big monster in the cave and teamwork. If it sounds like I am repeating myself, it's because the story is pretty much circular at this point.

But IV part 2 delivered something special. They kept "the danmachiness" while they introduced a couple new things. First, the backstory of a (sort of) well established character, Ryuu, not all at once, but bits by bits with some emotional build up to the point of the known massacre. The show didn't try to sell itself solely through Ryuu's subplot, but they made a main theme out of her trauma of her ex-peers. That part didn't resonate with me. Same old flaw: too many new characters, less unique ways for them to be or unique things for them to do. Since her squad was related to her only, would it have been a difference if it was about 5 people less or 20 more? What if they were only three, the three girls that died last? This is a question of relevance that sort of buzzed in the background noise these past few months. I am also not the masochistic type. Don't give me cheesy wheezy friendship and then butcher them, especially when you didn't give me enough reason to find them special. That would make me even less interested in having a human connection to that part of the story. It would grow my indifference which is pretty bad. Of course the sad event is countered by the resolution of the hero, but here it needs to be pointed out that (1) many irrelevant new characters that are hard to be sympathetic with, combined with (2) emotional manipulation, giving you hopes and then wiping them out, and (3) grotesque scenery, equals the reminder that Danmachi is still lingering around the same cheesy baity tropes.

Second, Cassandra's convoluted prophecy is the only thing that motivated the connection between IV part 1 and part 2. Did it serve more than an excuse to watch a new adventure? No. Team fights are fine, you can feel the loss when they get defeated, but it felt as if the rescue team was foreshadowed by Bell and Ryuu's struggle down at level 37. Much more tense, nerve-racking experience. Indeed, it also had it's redundancies here and there, but the good part lies in the Ryuu-Bell dynamic. Some of it resembles the way they behaved since they met in the previous parts, some seem to be similar to the way Bell was towards a girl or another, in the rescue-hero trope, but what tickled my fancy was the growth of love between them. Knowing Danmachi as a dis-interested watcher, I wouldn't use big words to describe something that could easily be thrown to the trash bin in an upcoming season, where Ryuu is replaced by a new woman in Bell's harem. But I think (and hope) the producers realized that hareming the protagonist isn't the way to go. And on this reading, the bits that sparked this season are related to the monogamy of the pair. While Ryuu faces her past demons and actual challenges, Bell grows and learns through her words and wisdom. Instead, he provides her with a point of stability that keeps them from going desperate. What made me love SOMETHING about Danmachi finally was in those few moments of silence, of closed bodies, of gentle touches, of realizing that there is another next to you, and he appreciates you in that moment of isolation and suffocating pressure. Not to diminish other thrilling moments, like the knockout the rescue team felt while fighting Trisbaena, Ryuu's bittersweet memories, the short return of the monsters and the bursts of motivation from characters like the smith and the amazonian, but it all felt without a purpose (except leveling up, but that is already a feature that doesn't weigh as much as it did in season 1), were it not for the relationship that developed between the elf and the human. Indeed, the remains of the things I dislike in general about Danmachi are brought up when they return home. The gigs are welcome, but I can't help but to find Hestia and Liliruca the most obnoxious pricks that almost made me drop the series. But the fact that they kept the dynamic of Ryuu-Bell after they return to the surface shows that it wasn't all for nothing, all the fighting and suffering, it was for love, something previously explored in a superficial way. I am looking at Haruhime and Ais in this regard. The ending where Ryuu acknowledged her feelings for Bell was very beautiful, and I wish they will respect her feelings in the future seasons. Comparing her situation to the previous love interests, I would say Ryuu is a rework of the Haruhime plot that pretty much got abandoned due to how bad it went. But the Ais side is problematic, since it's the starting drive of the series for Bell. Would she remain a sole model for him, or would she contend to replace Ryuu as the significant other? What does Bell feel about it? Personally, it would be an interesting plot to see the Ais vs Ryuu antagonism, but after all the build up of this season, and the beautiful interactions between Ryuu and Bell, I really hope that her words about "respecting him as a human" is nothing of a friendzone but an invitation to respectfully love eachother. But that's completely subjective. If it remains a friendzone one way or another, it's clear that the producers didn't learn anything from what made the broad audience dislike the series. If it develops further, it will catch my interest.

Third, a little praise for the animation, relative to the previous works. Can't say I am a fan of any Danmachi fight up to this day, since my only decent impression was of Aisha fighting no matter the image quality. They kind of always made sure she had good scenes (as for Ais). Can't say that this season was lacking good animation either. Clearly there were a lot of scenes way better made than similar ones before. But they still lack the water-like feeling of organic action, and some fights are overly-dramatic still. They kept the music and sounds in harmony with the plot, and overall this season could be labeled as "catchy". You see it, you recognize it, you remember some of it. So it's unlike what we've seen so far in this respect as well.

So in retrospect, Danmachi is a project that went in too many directions and lost a lot of character in the process. IV.2 provides us with a new foundation for the identity of the series. Fight for purpose, for protecting something dear to you, for love. That is brilliant and already original! Because there is no one same way to love and to tell this story. And the pair of Ryuu and Bell is pretty well made. This show doesn't have to give up it's current strengths in order to be more relevant. The gigs, the drama, the action are as important as the purpose. Hopefully, it will stick to the purpose they chose this season for the further iterations.

Personal favor to ask: Please kill Hestia already. At least her. I allow it. That should solve at least 50% of the show problems.

Out of hope for a better future, it's an 8/10.

I've always liked this show despite people saying it's full of fan service...well it is but I still enjoyed the heck out of it.
I've always liked the fantasy genre and a pretty good underdog story like "Rocky" and what is Danmachi other than an Underdog story of Bell Cranel, literal Zero to Hero.

For the story, I'm not going to make it extremely long but...
This season is a completely different experience from the previous ones. It leaves you an eerie feeling each episode like something bad is going to happen or someone's probably gonna die next episode with all the death flags they keep raising. ... And all of those assets were used perfectly well for this adaptation, I've never read the novel personally but I could tell that this is one of the better, if not the best, adaptation of Danmachi so far. The eeriness and suspense keeps making you want more, the characters are developed especially the main stars of the show Ryu Lion and Bell Cranel.

Let me tell you, there is just something so fascinating and excitement-inducing when a completely stoic woman opens her heart up and falls in love, and that's exactly what happened to Ryu. I fucking loved every moment she was on-screen. I feel like after all this time watching this series, I can truly confirm who is TRULY the best girl. She has developed like fine wine. I can't tell you how many times my heart felt fuzzy when she starts warming up to Bell and noticing the blooming flowers of love and admiration towards him. It's an actual Doki-Doki moment damnit! Not just that, but her whole Story-Arc was something else, I don't think anyone else has had a deeper and darker backstory than Ryu-san in this show. The fact that she went through all that and remained sane and stable got her my full respect.

Side Note: the whole section above is just me preaching how good of a character Ryu-san is LOL.

I'm not gonna further delve deep into the show itself because I'd say, just watch it.
It's gonna be a better experience for you to witness it on your own rather than taking it from some random dude on the internet.
The story is compelling, the characters feels like they're part of that world, like no one's out of place, it's enjoyable, endearing, the animation is fantastic, the girls are amazing, like really what are you waiting for? If you like fantasy shows then this show is right up your alley.

Danmachi Season 4 Second Cour gets a 10/10 from me.

Another side note: Ryu is absolutely bestest girl XD

PEACE!

Short review for lazy pals #1

So basically this shit is DOPE
This season is arguably best danmachi season.if you have liked this series so far you are gonna love this.unlike other seasons this Season is dark and pretty serious and I love this frikin DARK VIBE

Characters:10/10
If y'all have watched previous seasons then you know that characters are great and in this season character of ryu is developed greatly and AHHHH RYUU IS FRIKIN BEST SO OFC I LOVE THIS SEASON.

Story:10/10
I'm lazy so just see what'sup with story but gonna tell u this much that it's EPIC LEVEL SHIT so yea and many characters almost lose their ... hope of survival but they still stand up at end and it's shown very nicely that what it really means to be a hero and all..

Animation:10/10
FuCk yEa jc finally Did iT. They were saving budget for this and finally they did it! Fight scenes are better than ever so they've done a great job here!

So that's it I've spent too much energy so I'm gonna sleep now and welcome

Note:ryu is best girl and bell×ryu forever>>

I must say, seeing Ryuu's backstory makes you realize how much she's changed.

Ryuu was just as idealistic as Bell when she first became part of Astrea familiar and was a pure-hearted young girl about justice. However, her experiences with the war against Evilus during Orario's dark age which led to the deaths of many innocent people plus the death of Ardee made Ryuu question what justice really was. Coupled with her witnessing the death of her comrades by Juggernaut just broke Ryuu mentally and jaded that pure heart to abandon justice for the dark path of revenge only to find an empty feeling and ... be ready to accept death until Syr gave her a second chance to live.

Reading it in novels is one thing, but seeing it play in illustration from the games and anime form is another. Ryuu easily has one of the best character arcs in the entire series.

DanMachi doesn't disappoint yet again. And it's impressive considering that we are at the end of Season 4 of the show. Not only does it not succumb to some generic OP friendship storylines and edgy boring antagonists it actually explores it's characters and does so in a way that is curious to follow.
What this shows does well is as characters grow stronger it finds a new challenge for them while also not shying away from removing secondary characters in the process which is appreciated a lot. It also doesn't do anything OP with them and any gains the characters receive have limitations making them struggle.
My ... expectations of Season 2 were slightly different and while I felt like it will be a season where elf Ryuu and MC till travel together and create a new bond it was done really tastefully and was a heart warming experience. It tells the full story behind the Elf which was quite graphic and worked well to explore her character. Ryuu and MC interactions were fun to watch and the outcome was pleasant and left it open-ended. Also if you think about it Ryuu is a great female character herself who is both very strong and capable while also fragile and delicate, I believe author deserves credit for the way he created her and those intimate moments with her. It's not vulgar, nice.
Hestia family has their own moments and while it's obviously not on the level of the other story it's still nice with self sacrifice they are capable of and the way some of the characters find a way to grow once more. We have some of the secondary characters appear as backup and while the show doesn't follow closely their path to help Bell and Ryuu I feel like it was due to limited screentime.

The only thing that I believe was kinda absent this time was the whole leveling system where it wasn't really mentioned one way or the other and I guess this is where Season 5 is going to begin, to wrap this whole travel up and the outcome of it. I hope they won't disappoint and I also hope that we get some new development with Ryuu who I hope shifts from being on a backside to a more of main role.

Every time I watch a new Season of DanMachi I actually want to see more of it, so keep them coming. It's a well done job and I can see how every next season it gets better, so it deserves the praise. It left me satisfied as I had watched it in 1 evening.

//review for If you haven't watched it://

It was pretty good I guess, lots of quality improvements from the other seasons. It kept the same level of 'goodness'(?) as season 3. You'll set your expectations after seeing the first 5 episodes. I don't want to say anymore but if you enjoy what danmachi has been so far then watch this 100%. If you more so prefer season 3 over the 2 previous ones, you'll like this a lot.







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//Review for those that have watch it or want to know more in depth://

Get ready for the heaviest and best that danmachi has to offer yet in my opinion.

Once again, I've learned over the years that you shoudln't set your expectations too high, Ill mention it in the review but please watch this while having no expectations, it'll make the experience massively more enjoyable and your expectations will be very very easily met.

If you still want to read, this will be a review for the whole 22 episodes across both parts and holy shit. You could say I was completely blown away by this season. Every time I come back to danmachi I wonder why, such a seemingly mid anime and yet this is the most perfect example of why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. From the title and whatnot you expect it to be some shitty cringe harem anime and yet each time you watch a new season you're completely proven wrong. I don't know how they do it that the next season is always better than the previous and that is ESPECIALLY the case with this season. I really liked the story direction of S3 and would already give it a solid 8-9/10 but this just took it to the next level. I think this is the first time i've considered danmachi to be a perfect 10.

It started so bland and and had no weight to it to the point I couldn't even concentrate on watching it. The pacing felt a little off and it wasn't quite sitting with me. But 1/4 into the season (ep 5/6) the tone just completely changed; it made a full 180. The story telling became super immersive and I was glued. I feel like the creators of danmachi mastered a way to lower your expectations to the bottom so that they can be instantly overcome as you're bombarded by amazement The rest of the 1st part was mega action packed and gruesome as fuck. It took such a dark turn which made the anime have so much more weight to it. Despite being a goofy anime, one thing it does well is how serious it is and that sense of tension. That 2nd part of the season felt like such a brutal and unforgiving desperation for survival and that tension and seriousness is what I love about the anime.

Not only did the story in season 2 become almost perfectly told, it was packed with amazing movie like animation and fight scenes and yet the general story flow was just as strong if not better. Don't even get me started on the sound design. Sound is the most underrated aspect of anything. The story mostly focused on Bell & Ryu and their struggle for survival in the 2nd part and their voice actors knocked it completely out of the park. I expected as much from kiritos voice actor but damn ryu. You could feel the emotion, despair and desperation in her voice despite her being a calm and quite character which is what separates regular voice acting from peak perfection voice acting like we see here, it added so much more depth to the experience as well as to her charatcer. It just seemed so real. The sound effects as usual were top notch and the music paired so incredibly well with each scene. In that sense, it's very comparable to the exemplary way that SAO did it in alicization and war of the underworld.

If you're someone who enjoyed the lighthearted, loud=funny comedy that the anime provided previously then unfortunately you will find almost none of it in this season but for those who are looking for a great story and massive character development accompanied by great action, music and pacing then you will find this to be top notch. A definite 10/10 that needs to be watched, my excitment for danmachi has risen quite a lot but so did my expectations for future seasons moving on. Maybe it was since i always liked ryu as a side character but after this seasons she's definitely my favourite character. the massive character development and lore focused around her was very cool and intriguing to see and uncover. Danmachi has taken a very good turn in direction since season 3, straying more away from shallow comedy and romance and leaning more into a fantastic and in-depth story direction.

it's going to be hard to top this season.

Edit: I posted this exact same on the first part too but only now after coming here do I realise the massive boost in score. From 7.70 to 8.26. That second part was truly something

Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka IV: Fuka Shou - Yakusai-hen (2023)

Let's keep it going until the end! I love this show. It has quiet moments and it has action, it also the cat girls! What more could I ask to keep seeing season on season.

This time round is a specific arc but one that is deep, meaningful, and full of action in the right places.

The art looks like the same old show that gets more and more crisper without losing its history.

The sound is great, with lots of oomph and I think the voices are still fantastic. ... You watch the action scenes on surround sound it feels awesome, during the quieter time the ambiance in the background is great.

The characters develop like crazy, they can't develop everyone so they have a selection here that all progress. Welf comes into his own and Ryuu just becomes the waifu of the season. I love Anya and Chloe the perfect cat girls and then we have Amid doing her thing out of the spa which is great and Maryuu and Iska of Astraea are awesome also.

Bell does his job as usual and comes out pretty great from it, aside from more debt it seems. The whole season is fantastic overall, I just hope the reception of it agrees and they continue to adapt this show to its end. Things can only get better and better. 10/10.

This is not where I thought Danmachi would go, but I do like this direction.
For those who are reading this review without context, Danmachi was known for two things in the wider anime ecosystem for its last three seasons; cheesy characters and cheesecake. Not that their is anything wrong with that, I frankly feel the boob ribbon was a genius invention and whoever came up with it should be awarded some kind of prize, but this does mean the series often lacked depth. The previous seasons had Bell, our Shonen good boy, do the most lawful good thing he could do at the time. ... Even though the good of this was often challenged with the innocent woman becoming a sex worker or a monster in later seasons so that his lawful good actions could be questioned a little bit. It always feel to the classic formula: this good boy is becoming stronger and getting more women to fall head over heels for him because he is such a good boy.
This season changes things by putting Bell into actual hell with a vengeance fueled nihilist as his only companion and forcing them to really on one another in a scenario where the only feasible way they can make it out alive is for him to give up on his morals and allow someone to sacrifice herself for him, or for the nihilist to accept his bullheaded view that they can both make it out with the power of friendship, something that she does not think she is worthy of nor does she think work. All of this puts the two of them into an interesting survival scenario where they need to trust and accept one another to survive. The most surprising thing about this setup is that it works, it leads to their contrasting worldviews coming head to head as they both need to compromise for survival in tense scenes as they try and find any way out of the place they find themselves in while they are hunted by an honestly scary force of nature.
The only critique I have about this narrative is that the show often feels the need to cut back to Bell's inane friends and what they are doing to try and find him. I get the purpose of this being used to show how much he means to them and to set up how he will find his way back, but I feel it cuts the tension of the intense other half and dulls the razor sharp focus of the show.
On the technical side this is fine in all aspects, where I don't see anything noticeably bad with the sound, editing, or animation but nothing stands out either.
Overall, I like this more than the other seasons and hope the show continues to put its main characters in scenarios like this and not fall back into its roots as a harem comedy.

This is one of those series that are better to binge, especially with how the earlier seasons starts off compared to the very strong Season Four. If you hate Deku-type characters, you might not like Bell. But if you can get past the main character archetype, I believe that the payoff to season 4 is really nice.

Season 1-2: Kinda okay, introduction of characters and world build-up
Season 3: Starting to ramp up, Bell becoming more likeable at this point.
Season 4 part 1 and 2: Feels like the series finally peaked.

Now for Season 4, the dungeon finally bares its fangs. We all know that the Dungeon is ... dangerous, but the way it was presented this season really sets the tone. It's darker, more dangerous, and the stakes are higher. I hope that the next arc will keep the pace and surpass what this season has accomplished.

We wouldn't be wrong to say it's the best danmachi season ever. Both the background story and character development were quite successful. Likewise, the story was quite gripping and intriguing, it raised the place of the series in me quite a lot.

Story - 10

We're seeing a pretty good adaptation of the story. Seeing Ryu's story frankly made me happy, but also saddened to some extent. When I looked in general, I could not see any view-reducing factor.

Art Design / Animation - 9

The animations and effects in the series were excellent. Not to mention the use of particles. It's pretty nice to see Danmachi go from ... one of my favorite series of animation and art design in general, to top it off.

Sound - 8

As always, the music choices are incredible, well chosen for the series.

Characters - 9

We see the character development in this season as in every season. It made me happy that we didn't see a lot of side characters, which is because almost all the characters in our family made a good development.