Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?

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{This review encompasses volumes 1-4, which are all that have been translated at the time of writing this}

Danmachi is an interesting story in the sense that it mixes together typical RPG game mechanics with real life. It doesn't actually take place inside a game but rather a fantasy world, however the magic of said world works basically like how a game does. Adventurers gain experience points, earn loot, level up, gain skills and magic etcetera, but it all still takes place in their own actual reality. It's a quite fresh take on what is otherwise a somewhat overused concept in recent years.

The story follows ... a shy but optimistic rookie adventurer named Bell Cranel who has a youthful dream of having a romantic encounter with a pretty girl during his adventures. And shockingly enough for him, it actually happens as he one day gets his life saved by an unknown beautiful woman, whom he instantly falls in love with. As a result, he's given a unique skill which causes him to gain experience points at an unbelievably fast rate as long his feelings of love towards her doesn't dwindle.

Unfortunately for Bell however, he's the very innocent type that starts blushing furiously just by touching a girl's hand, and thus he has a very hard time confessing his feelings towards her. However that doesn't mean he's weak or wimpy by any means; he's actually very energetic and passionate when it comes to fighting. He's just very childlike when it comes to romance, but personally I think that side of him just comes off as rather cute more than anything else.

Bell is also the sole member of the "Familia" (basically like a guild) belonging to a goddess named Hestia who plays the part of the lead heroine in the series. She's madly in love with Bell, and also the exaggeratedly jealous type. If she had the option of choice then Bell should never even be in the same room as another girl, which of course also means she isn't too happy about him falling in love at first sight with another woman, and even gaining a unique skill for it in the process.

Beyond that, the premise of Danmachi is honestly very simplistic. We basically follow Bell's adventures as well as his relationships with the people he meets during them. There is nothing outstanding or spectacular in this series by any means but for what it is, it's very easy and enjoyable to read. The male and female leads are both very cute and likable, and they also make a quite unusual couple compared to what you'd normally see. The illustrations are top tier and look very pleasing for the eyes, and they also complement the comedic parts of the story very well.

Overall, Danmachi is not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but it provides a fresh outlook on an otherwise quite overused concept, and I always appreciate that kind of originality. It is simple, light-hearted fun that almost anyone can read and still enjoy. And really, enjoyment is all we actually seek in the bottom of our hearts when reading these kinds of novels, so I don't think you can ask for a whole lot more than that in the end.

Alright. First off, this review is only for the first novel. Back in December, I ordered the novel from Amazon, and decided to read it due to the fact it didn't have an anime yet, and I wouldn't know the story. It was a really good read, and I finished it within the month.

Story:
The story is a tad unusual, mixing real-life and game elements together. The characters are not in a video game, yet they "level up," and gain strength. Once they level up, they gain skills, etc., etc., like an RPG game. This concept confused me for most of the novel, due to the ... fact I thought they were in a video game for the longest. Other than this minor hiccup, the story was easy to digest and understand, and kept me interested throughout the complete novel.

Art:
Any art by Suzuhito Yasuda is amazing, in my opinion. The illustrations are seen throughout the novel, and are easy on the eyes. The art isn't too edgy, and sometimes, they're even hilarious. Beware, however, as there is a lot of fan-service illustrations in the novel.

Character:
The characters are cliche, however, they are also unique in their own way. The character growth, is strong even within the first novel. Bell, the main protagonist of the series, is a good example of this. At first, he is a spineless coward during the first few chapters, but after some goading by a few members of another's family, he starts to man up immensely.

Enjoyment:
I was nearly unable to put this book down, for the first few days. After that though, I was able to pace myself, since the next set of light novels by Yen Press wouldn't come out for a few months. I was excited to read the next chapter, day after day, that the novel pretty much flew by, truth be told. Seeing as it didn't have an anime, at the time, it was new material, which helped a lot in keeping me interested.

Overall, this is a good novel series, and I would recommend them to a friend. Like I said, though, beware of the fan-service. It's plentiful in these books. You can order the first novel from amazon, and pre-order the second novel now. I highly recommend this series, as you will be unable to put the book down for a good while.

Generally, I've only ever read manga or light novels after first watching the anime and am interested in seeing where the story goes from there. Is It Wrong To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? (I'll just call it DanMachi from now on) was the first time I reversed that and read the source material before seeing the anime. This review is based on the first 10 volumes.

I really don't like the title of this series. I find it very misleading. It gives the impression of a standard harem concept, but this story is anything but. Sure, it has the standard harem cliches, with a ... bunch of girls who all have the hots for Bell. But it never ever feels like the harem or ships or romance is driving the momentum of the story. There's always a bigger plot, and Bell's focus is always on overcoming obstacles and helping the people around him. It actually bothers me that some people might pass on these books thinking they're just boring harem fare, because there's so much more being offered here.

Simple explanation is that this story is set in a fictional world where a huge hole in the ground serves as a spawning pit for monsters (the dungeon), and adventurers flock to the city to fight these monsters, level up, gain fame and fortune, etc. It's a unique twist on a pretty standard RPG/fantasy theme. It weaves in some mythology, as gods from various cultural backgrounds have descended from the heavens to form familias (guilds, essentially) of adventurers. The story follows Bell, a teenage boy who comes to the city hoping to make his name as an adventurer. He finds a small familia and starts off on his adventure, picking up new comrades, potential love interests (although the romances never really go anywhere in this story), and new enemies along the way.

If I had written a review of the first volume, I might have given it a 7/10. Not great, but interesting enough that I picked up the second volume. The real strength of this series is that it picks up momentum as it moves forward. The early books set up the world and the characters, and as the stories progress they grow more complex and fulfilling. Too many series start with an interesting premise, but the author loses creativity or direction after a few volumes. DanMachi is the opposite - it just keeps getting better the longer the series goes on.

The author of the series has a real skill for building to an exciting climax. I don't think there's been a volume yet (save for 9, which is the first part of a two-part story that concludes in 10) where the story doesn't build to an epic scene that resolves the main conflict, and leaves the reader feeling wholly satisfied. I read a lot of these Japanese translations these days, and I always find that I rip through DanMachi faster than any other series, just due to the forward momentum in the plot - I can't wait to find out what happens next. There are other series I like more overall, but this is definitely the one I can't put down once I start it.

I don't want to get too much into plot specifics or character development or whatever, since I'm basically posting a review for 10 volumes of a series. It's kind of hard not to have some level of development over that length of time. Suffice it to say that the characters are mostly likeable and interesting, and their interactions are amusing when they need to be and serious when they need to be. The tones shift naturally and there's a bit of everything in each of the stories. There's action, adventure, humour, mystery, intrigue, camaraderie, and (mostly unrequited) romance. It's unusual for a story to blend so many different tones so seamlessly, but it works well here.

Overall, I'm giving the series a 9/10, based on the first 10 volumes. The first few volumes set the stage, handle the world-building heft, and the series just keeps picking up steam with each subsequent instalment. Epic climaxes top off each book, and new characters are introduced regularly without feeling forced or creating much bloat to the story. A great read, highly recommended.