I was really skeptical that I was going to read almost 40% of the first part of the novel, without Bell or Lyu appearing, but damm, that battle become really epic, really quickly.
First, I loved the names for the chapters of this volume, ALOT, it gave me HYPE, and they also had really EPIC illustrations to them, I guess to compensate for the lack of illustrations throughout the chapters, the chapters cover's just had to be freaking cool!
"They Begin to Stir"
"Poem of Despair, Poem of Triumph"
"Forlorn Hope in the Dungeon"
"Beyond a Thousand Darknesses"
"Epilogue: You'll be back II"
Got me psyched every time.
Really, only Chapter 8 was I a bit fed with reading, that said, Wiene and co appeared near the end so the chapter left me a great impression, in the end, setting what we would see in the final chapter.
It was long but pure greatness.
I was hyping the deep levels a lot with the ending of the last volume, and it just surpassed it, just so dire... it kinda reminded me when one first set in the Catacombs of Dark Souls 1, without knowing shit, it was amazing.
This was pure survival, done justice considering the setting, I have been reading 9-13 very quickly also because I m on holidays, and on the beach while doing so with my phone, but for the latter half of volume 14, with how dark it is, almost no light, I actually saved most of it, to read at night, just to invoke that sense of dread better, fantastic.
I enjoyed Lyu's past, in particular, characters like Kaguya (she had an awesome sexy design alright), sad to see them dead, that said, the reveal about Lyu's past wasn't surprising at all.
And really, all that talk about justice... I just didn't care that much about it, justice this, justice that.
And also again Juggernaut, some parts about him are interesting, like his entrance and its will to kill Bell, but I have heard people criticizing this volume for this Deus ex Machina BS, and I have to agree.
The idea was cool, but I prefer the writer says more grounded rather than giving us "a monster that is just as powerful, as the story needs it to be".
Much better than the last volume tbh.
It was really one about Lyu, her development with Bell this volume was outstanding, gripping and I just loved how by the end, she dropped the Mr. and started calling him only Bell, I think she just became the best girl overall with the conclusion of this volume, best girl for romance, I still do feel Wiene is best overall (on her arc, she is a bit more time outside, understandably).
Anyone still supporting Hestia as the ship, as yet to read this volume.
Freaking endearing, it was a full pack, you had dread and survival with some horror, EPIC actions and some really cute romantic moments, within that safe area near the spring, this arc tested Lyu in every single away and I look forward a lot to see the changes going forward, that epilogue was so darn cute, "You'll be back!" loved that illustration with Lyu and Syr too much, it was such a bright and sweet conclusion, very much earned.
I just hope we could see Bell reuniting with Wiene, with Lyu has a bodyguard, like it was said, but oh well, I m already grateful Wiene and the Xenos are still making appearances, I was afraid Wiene wouldn't appear again for quite a while, that would make me sad...
Seriously, it would have been kinda neat fanservice to see Lyu joining Hestia familial, maybe a bit too much, but I definitely want even more of her now!
The Deep Zone set a new bar, I cant wait to see it explored again in the future, and I hope Bell keeps all the knowledge and experience he gotten from Lyu to keep improving and just be more efficient with his Lvl.4 status.
Curious on long it will take for Bell to reach Lvl5, he promoted at the beginning of vol12, and already there he had quite a challenge to neat him a lot of excellia, with vol13 and 14, especially in the deep levels, I think we can see a lvl up within the next 3-5 volumes quite easily, he just keeps throwing himself at the worst shit possible.
I know Lilly leveled up from this expedition, but I find it quite lame that Welf and Mikoto are still only level 2, and Haruhime only lvl1, I hope the writer doesn't get that shit forever, would just feel really lame, I get it, not nearly as fast, but Hestia's familia needs to level up their game, they cant be always relying on others help, they have to strengthen their core, not only Bell.
To conclude, AMAZING volume, like an arc, vol9-11 was still way better, it is not fair to compare this volume to 9-11, it was much bigger, but an achievement to this volume is being this amazing throughout while being this freaking long.
9-11 were for a lot of character development, huge revelations that shake the world and Wiene's feels party, it was quite a lot of dungeons but most of the best stuff where outside the Dungeon, whereas 13-14 focused on the inside part, and specially vol14, it was just of another nature.
I want more of the Xenos and those feels, and I want more of Lyu, her developments with Bell, both more serious and the rom-com stuff, as well more fucking despairing but fantastical deep levels dungeon exploring & survival.
Sucks that I caught up with the translation, but vol15 is around the corner, I would hope the writer picks up the previous speed it had with most of the stuff previous vol12-13, I know he is also writing SO, which I already started reading, so there is that as well.
After 9-11, this one is also another I m getting the physical version, I want to support this ALOT, this is the kind of stuff I love to read.
On the heat of the moment, and I may take it back, BUT,it is a 10 for me, out of 10!
Fuck it, this was legendary reading, getting something this awesome after the Xenos arc.. it has been a hell of 2 weeks progressing forward with Danmachi.
People give this one a go, later volumes ARE top tier writing (despite a few BS stuff like Juggernaut, and even Bell left arm surviving for so long in that state, YES!!).
I want to see an S4 to see this adapted, please don't fuck up again with either S3 and S4, this is top material here ready to make a lot of success with right love poured in an adaptation, make it count J.C. Staff, you fucked a bit of DAL LN 10 for me, not this, please!
Wiene and Lyu for LIFE!
10/10 |