Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? is the English translation of an equally long Japanese title Danjon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Daro ka, which is commonly referred to as DanMachi for short. So let's just use DanMachi for the rest of this review. DanMachi is a thirteen episode anime series broadcast in 2015 based upon the light novels of the same name (and now translated into English). This first season covers approximately five volumes of the light novel series. The story stars Bell Cranel and from the very first episode, the viewer is throw into the world without so much as any explanations of the mechanics that govern this world.
This anime is set in the fictional country of Orario, all we are told is that gods and goddesses exist and that they may choose to live with humans down in this world at the cost of not being able to use their divine powers. These deities then form groups called Familia, which are basically raiding parties. What's interesting is that DanMachi uses gods from different cultures, the main inspiration being Greek but you see gods such as Ganesha and Loki too. You see, the world is dominated by this gigantic tower referred to as the dungeon. The groups that are formed with humans, now labeled as Adventurers, enter into this tower to defeat monsters and obtain their crystal shards in order to exchange it for currency.
The monsters that are defeated by adventurers will drop items from time to time to be used for crafting. Sounds a lot like a RPG game right? The RPG elements does not end here because these adventurers have stats too, their abilities are expressed in numbers, literally. A tattoo on Bell's back for example lists out his numerical statistics as well as any special abilities and magic. The first few episodes even goes so far as to put an emphasis that his stats are growing at an abnormally rapid rate. Back to the plot though, a goddess named Hestia forms her own familia with only Bell as a member. The first episode starts with Bell being chased down by a gigantic minotaur before being saved by the Sword Princess Aiz.
Naturally, Bell falls in love with his savior and ironically, several female characters are introduced who falls in love with Bell but of course, Bell remains oblivious. This is a very predictable and typical plot, you can see the makings of a harem. A common plot plot and running gag is the fact that Hestia has feelings for Bell too but he just cannot take a hint. After being saved, Bell gains the motivation to truly improve and get stronger, taking daring (and stupid) risks. He rapidly becomes more powerful, gains a few female companions/friends and generally has a good time. The biggest downfall of DanMach is the fact that the world is not properly explained to the viewers.
We only get glimpses of how the world works and how the people go about their days, as well as the social statuses of Adventurers and their Supporters (who accompanies Adventurers into the dugneon but do not fight, instead, they focus in recovering the spoils). Why is there a giant tower in the country filled with seemingly infinite monsters? Right now, it seems to be there because the plot dictates it, as characters need motivation and reasons to head into the tower and face danger. DanMachi is aimed at young adults and it has its focus on two things: breasts and related humor. Sadly, there are scenes where it feels like it tries too hard to include any jab or commentary about breasts to the point where it is bloated and unnecessary.
There was hardly a scene where the breast-related humor felt natural, the gags had been done a million times before in other anime series. Ignoring those sections, DanMachi does have some good running gags which will bring a smile to your face. Characters aren't given enough time to develop properly but all of the characters are likable and none are annoying. Bell is your typical male protagonist who gets super powerful but is also super nice to boot. He wins over the hearts of many through his compassion and heroic deeds, he's your typical do-no-wrong type of guy (for good or for worse).
One thing to note is that Bell shares the save voice actor as Kirito from Sword Art Online and since the two characters are quite similar in terms of what they represent, you kinda wish that they could have gotten another voice actor in. One of the more impressive aspects of this anime is the crisp and beautiful animation, it looks really good and colorful. The final episode is action packed as one would expect, however, just like the rest of the season, it doesn't explain why. It just happens, maybe because the plot required it, maybe they'll explain it later in the second season, but for now, just accept it.
The final episode does make for some fairly cool and epic scenes, although a tad bit too predictable since you know that Bell is going to be the hero. It ends with a big revelation which has some big implications but of course, wait until Season 2! Overall, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? has a really awesome title but the plot leaves a lot to be desired. It leaves too much of the background understanding out, there are not enough little details to make you interested in the world and so it feels as if it is full of plot holes. Bell Cranel is a typical hero and the plot is unoriginal at times, the humor is a saving grace but this anime is on average, pretty average.
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