Warning: There will be some minor spoilers discussed in this review.
-Story-
Bell Cranel, the hero of DanMachi, has his world turned upside down when he rescues a vouivre -- a human-like monster with the ability to speak. After taking the creature home and giving her a name (Weine), Bell and the Hestia Familia learn she is not only capable of speech but all the same emotions as themselves. Over the season they befriend a whole community of sentient monsters in The Dungeon, who are hoping to live a peaceful life away from the threat of adventurers. With this new knowledge, Bell realizes he can no longer kill monsters indiscriminately like he had before -- but not everyone sees it this way. There are people who refuse to see humanity in these monsters, and they have Bell and Wiene in their sights.
As is, this is not a bad concept for a story -- taking something that was previously clear cut to the characters and adding some gray area. It's clear Bell struggles with this new information; he knows he can't decide the value of another life so similar to his, but the monsters in the dungeon are still a threat. There's a lot of conflict built-in to this plot; it's nigh impossible for monsters and adventurers to co-exist no matter how hard the Hestia Familia tries, or how many minds they try to change. Ideologies clash and Bell has to stick to his beliefs as allies turn against him.
Unfortunately, in practice it isn't as dramatic. With little convincing, Hestia and the rest of the Familia support Bell's choice to harbor Wiene and welcome her as one of their own. The Ikelos Familia -- the group of poachers who had been hunting monsters like Wiene -- are shown to be utterly deplorable, with no redeemable beliefs or qualities. This may be a clash of ideologies, but the Ikelos Familia do nothing to deserve viewer support or sympathy. This is done best with the Loki Familia, who are understandable in their drive to keep monsters out of the surface world, and put down the "uprising" shown in the final episodes. By the time the credits roll on the final episode, however, this leaves little impact on the characters or the world of DanMachi.
-Characters-
The characters in this arc are the clearest evidence that this season was filler. Wiene, the inciting actor in this drama, is quickly reduced to another name in Bell's harem. She's a loli trope who clings to Bell like a younger sister, who's motivations are centered around what would make Bell happy, what Bell would do, how to be closer to Bell. In fact, it's this way for all of the once colorful cast of heroes in the Hestia Familia, including the goddess herself. Instead of acting of their own volition, every single character takes part in an echo chamber to support every one of Bell's decisions. Even Hestia, who clearly has concerns about bringing a monster to the surface world, only shares smiles and nods with Bell when he plans anything. A plot that was ripe with conflict and development becomes barren as even Bell's closest allies don't even hesitate against him.
On the other hand, there's Ais Wallenstein -- a character who has goals in very clear opposition to Bell. It sounds like a fantastic setup: as part of the Loki Familia, Ais wants to kill all monsters (on the surface or otherwise) in order to protect the city, become more powerful, and maintain her Familia's impressive status. All reasons why she and Bell would clash, heightened by the personal friendship/mentorship they share. Bell's accelerated growth (the Liaris Freese skill) is based on his feelings for the blond sword master, so a threat to their relationship could jeopardize his growth or entire adventuring career. So much interesting is going on here, but of course falls flat by the end. While the pair do have an impressive fight near the end, Ais eventually sees things Bell's way (like everyone in his social circle) and by the time the season is over the status quo has returned. The Liaris Freese skill is never mentioned, and they are shown training together again. No lasting impact was done on their relationship, and the pair end the season just like they were at the beginning.
The same thing happens to Wiene. The most important thing to Bell all season, the reason he put himself and his familia at risk, is brushed away by the end and moved to an unidentified location within the dungeon. The relationship between Bell and Wiene ends the season exactly how it was before the season: like she wasn't there at all. That's filler, where "nothing of value was gained or lost."
-Art and Sound-
Like the other entries in the series, season 3 brings competent animation to the table. Despite being explored over three seasons and a spin-off series, the Dungeon always looks exciting. New floors look unique and old ones keep consistent. I appreciate being able to look at a floor and recognize it from past adventures -- it buildings the geography of the world and makes it feel real and explorable. While there is nothing jaw-dropping to see in Season 3, the animators employ some interesting camera shots to make basic scenes a little more exciting. The conflict of the story lends itself to some meaningful fights, and the animation keeps up. These battles driven by emotions were easily the best part of the season, and the voice actors amplify that tenfold. When the characters are given the opportunity to act, their faces do well conveying their feelings, and the voice artists know what to do to get that same feeling from you.
The worst part to me, was how much I wanted this to be good. Every episode I started thinking "this will be the one where it gets good" and it would finally all come together. Then everything would happen like I laid about above and disappointed me, but I still got sucked in. Twenty minutes later they'd end with just enough of a cliff-hanger, just enough thrill, that I'd start the cycle all over again the following week. In the final week, the season ended and I felt like the rug had been pulled out from under me; it never got better, and it never paid off. Thinking back, so much happened in seasons one and two, the story covered so much ground. Instead, it opts to get in Bell's way and keep him planted where he started -- and no growth is a fatal sin for any adventurer.
