runte.everardo - 2015-07-02 02:29:12

Anime is ruined by the final episode riddled with plot holes. For Fantasy and Supernatural series how a series closes is going to make or break a series. In most cases, when I consume anime, the problem, is not usually the issue with plot holes but a lack of good closure (ending in a satisfying manner). In Is it Wrong to Try to pick up Girls in a Dungeon? the opposite happened. This should be noted was something that occurred with Bryndhildr in the Darkness. The anime promised so much but then shocked you in containing plot holes that cannot easily be ignored.

It's disheartening and depressing since the anime series was promising so much until this conclusion came along which transformed the series into a broken promise. And quite frankly I do not know how to feel or perhaps I do: a little depressed. Call me weird but that is how this anime made me feel. I always get super excited for anime and I was totally rooting for this series only for the anime to devolve into something like this. Damn it, Danmachi you could have been fantastic! ~A Season 2, no, please.~

madie65 - 2015-07-01 04:37:55

I didn't have a lot of high hopes for this show when I heard the english title. This sounds like a creative ecchi title. I don't hate ecchis, I stay away from them unless I think that there is something in the show that I believe I will enjoy from it. But my friend recommended the show to me, so I saw the first episode and later learned that it was sentai filmworks. I have so far loved everything that they had made since watamote, after learning who liscensed the show, I quickly marathoned the show on crunchyroll. After that, I did come out overall glad that I gave it a shot. I would recommend this show for people who are starting out in anime rather than the more experienced since I do not feel that there is enough for the veterans to see that they haven't seen already. (BTW, this show isn't an echhi)

pietro.pfannerstill - 2015-06-28 05:14:54

Very funny anime for those action, comedy lovers. It was excellently plotted and great animation. There should be a season 2

domenick.altenwerth - 2015-06-27 03:13:18

I REALLY REALLY HOPE A S2 WILL BE OUT.. This anime was amazing.. the history and all, hot girls and even Bell himself! Must Watch! one of top animes that is out here! I would wish it was a 24-26 Episode long Anime!

norberto.aufderhar - 2015-06-06 19:55:48

This anime is very well done. Never before have I been so into an anime straight from episode one (it probably has the best episode one I've ever seen). The anime manages to balance story and action very well throughout the episode so there is not too much of one or the other. One could argue that it is a bit like SAO setting wise, however, it is still very enjoyable. Overall I hope this anime continues to be good, as it has done an amazing job so far.

peggie.kuhlman - 2015-05-31 14:18:24

This review is not spoiler free.

Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls In a Dungeon? wasn't my first choice on this summer's line-up, but, midway through the season, I tried it and ended up liking it.

It's not for everyone, obviously, but I think one that thing that might be warding people away is its title, which implies some sort of Fifty Shades of Hestia. The dungeon in question is a core feature of the show. It's kind of like the equivalent of the "shonen training arena", except, more appropriately, a "shonen grinding arena".

The shonen in question, Bell Cranel, is actually a highlight of the series, at least for me. I actually like how weak he is — seeing him grow over time has been more fun than watching action-y battle after action-y battle. It adds real stakes and makes the fight scenes very compelling. I know there's been a lot of complaining about that because SOA apparently started with a high level character, but haven't seen SOA and it doesn't bother me at all, so it might just be something to get used to.

Judging from the first few episodes, it's possible to get the impression that all this show is about is picking up girls, but that impression fades pretty quickly. Bell isn't really responsible for his harem, it just kind of happens. Unfortunately that means that the show is basically a Supporting Harem, which is really easy to handle poorly. The show is kind of hit-and-miss there, as Eina and Syr weren't given much justification for their inclusion in the harem, whereas Arde was given a solid, understandable reason.

I thought Arde's arc on the whole was surprisingly well-handled and touching. It was interesting to go from liking her to hating her to not being sure about her to understanding her. It may have been a little predictable, but that's not always a bad thing.

This review has gone too long without mentioning Hestia, so here you go.
Her character is kind of like a loli not-sister, with a sprinkling of tsundere. She could be a little more interesting, but she's not outright annoying, and she isn't quick to judge or blame, which earns her points in my book. Of course, she's nothing like the goddess Hestia from Greek mythology.

The show is a melting pot of mythologies: Greek, Hindu, Norse, and perhaps more on the way. Unfortunately, like in Hestia's case, they aren't used to their full potential, instead acting as figureheads for the show's homegrown version of guilds. Hephaestus, my favorite out of their re-imaginings, is slightly exempt from this complaint; her and her familia make the swords and armor that all the characters use. Other than that, there's Loki, a pretty fun take on the character but nothing completely new, and Ganesha, who I was disappointed to see did not have an actual elephant nose.

As far as other characters go, there's the latest addition to the team, Welf Crozzo, a blacksmith who has forsworn magical items and weapons in favor of doing it the old fashioned way. I really enjoy the sword making sequences in this anime. They're always really fun to watch and I just love all things craft-oriented. I'm curious to see how Welf will develop in the limited time left in the season.

Aiz Wallenstein is, at first glance, Bell's crush and not much else, besides a mixture of the stoic and klutzy anime archetypes. However, I think she's more important because of what she represents than who she is as a character. She's Bell's ideal, but for different reasons than the obvious. Bell idolizes her as a mentor and goal. It's future him, the hero he's always reaching for. Does he want to be saved by his future self, or become his future self? It's an interesting dynamic. My hope is that down the line, Aiz will show some flaws and Bell will have to separate her from his ideals, but until then the dynamic is still pretty strong.

The same cannot be said for the remaining potential love interests, including two waitresses at a tavern Bell frequents. Syr Flover is a character I cannot figure out at all. Is she a yandere? Is she shy? Is she simply sadistic? What IS her deal? In one scene, she piles a ton of work on him and leaves. Is this love? Whatever.
Her friend Ryu appears to only be there as a supporter to her friend's crush, but it's likely that'll change.

Finally, there's Eina, who is similarly confusing, getting some OCC character development when she unexpectedly drags Bell along shopping with her. I feel like she's the writers' ship. The romance here is so one-sided that it makes it difficult to root for. Maybe there'll be a plot point later that forgives the clumsy handling of her character.

I think the biggest stumble the show's taken so far has been the villain, Freya. She just hasn't established herself as a formidable presence. SOUNDING evil isn't enough -- I wish the show had introduced her plans a little earlier. Obviously they're saving up for a big reveal, but we'll see if the wind ran out of the sails of this plot thread when the time comes. I might update this review later when her true intentions are revealed.

One thing I haven't discussed yet is production quality. I think the animation's pretty charming. It's easy on the eyes, with its soft faces and color pallet. It might be a bit run-of-the-mill for some, though. The timing is pretty good, the fight scenes have power and impact when needed. I personally find them engaging and fun. The settings are fairly memorable, with the exception of typical Ye Olde Courte Plaza, which shows up in every fantasy ever and didn't go in any new directions here. I was impressed by Level Ten's design though. There's something eerie and mystical about the white forest. Bell and Hestia's house, however, needs to be established better. I'm still not quite sure where everything is. Maybe they cut a few shots for time.

The sound design is good. There was a particularly cool sound element when Bell discovered magic that stood out to me a lot and added weight to the scene. The music, aside from a weird track that sounds like the opening to Into The Woods, is pretty forgettable, though I do like a certain melodic theme that starts whenever a battle begins. I fall pretty quickly for epic orchestral scores, so no complaints, other than the previously mentioned retention difficulty.

Overall, the main character starting at a low level ultimately helps the show more than hinders it, at least for me. It sets the show apart, and makes his accomplishments mean something and his failures hurt. There's nobody on the planet who can't identify with starting out at level one. I think this show succeeds at being entertainment, and with a show like this, that's exactly what it aspires to. So, job well done.

yost.blanche - 2015-05-11 06:58:01

With such a labyrinthine title, it is easy to just pick up on the first word "dungeon", but perhaps we should be mindful of its full title, "Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?" In this case, "dungeon" is merely relegated to a preposition, and indeed that is what one should expect going into this show. The object of this sentence is "girls", and that's what girls are in this show--objects. Forget about leveling up or finding rare items, although that is the premise on the surface. This is a harem, and the treasure is fan service. And as with typical harems, we have an idealistic and awkward main character who is clueless about a lot of things, and various girls that fill archetypal roles where the setting is only a convenience. The girl in the first episode might be a goddess, but she is a child with a secret crush on onii-chan, and sometimes takes responsibility for him. Okay, MC isn't really onii-chan in this case, and goddess-chan might as well be over 1000 years old, but that doesn't change this dynamic at all. And with these characters, we shouldn't expect more than that.

If you like harems, ecchi, and romantic comedies, and this kind of humor is right up your alley, this anime might be nostalgic and remind you of just what you like about the genre. It might take place in a Medieval setting, but you've seen this before. For those who like a bit of authenticity, and aren't fooled by the palette change in the background, this is barely entertaining, mediocre. Think of it as the lull of the first season of SAO, where Kirito spent some 7 episodes wandering around and saving women. Now make Kirito underleveled.

krowe - 2015-04-30 03:51:31

So far much hasn't happened, but I am quite frankly enjoying this anime. It has a nice MMORPG feel to it, and was very different from what I honestly expected. The anime is not actually about a male flirting with chicks in a dungeon, to my surprise! The title actually fools a large amount of people, but the anime is very different from what it seems. I'm also enjoying the story as it is, although I feel as if my ship isn't going to sail -sadface-. Anyways, the animation is pretty nice but not amazing. The opening and ending themes are okay since they fit the anime well, but they aren't the best. I like the main character (And also ship him with his goddess! Hear me out, fanservice!), but the characters in general aren't that special. It's pretty good so far yet I don't have a lot of stable ground to judge upon, but as the anime progresses I will update this review to it's full extent. I request that you at least watch one or two episodes to get the feel of the anime, if you are unsure whether or not to get into this. Who knows, it might turn out to be something you really like!

donavon.schinner - 2015-04-30 02:21:04

this is one of those series that i avoided watching bc of the title. it just didnt seem like something id be into. episode one snuck into my playlist somehow. and to my surprise.. im really thinking i might just actually enjoy it. im into episode two and its sucking me in! 

ramona.miller - 2015-04-10 06:17:25

a anime who i have expected something good but who have take a turn i have dont want to be happened... sorry but im out with this one... a lot of copy paste and pathetic logic.. this is just not soo good like i have expected.. anyway lets begin..

About The Story
a guy who want to be more strong because of a girl he have see in the dung and he have fall in love with it ... but this little story about becoming stronger... dissapear after a couple of episode i will not hide it to you and just warning you in 1 episode he become a Rank S for no reason.. thats the pathetic logic i hate ... they destroy and trash the story like that for let the place to a character who have upgrade easily like that and have get free OP weapon ... and they will trash the story for making a Harem thats sure they will make a Season 2 completely different and transform this into a Harem , thats gonna happen... no doubt on it .. ! so yeah i have spoil 1 thing but thats just for warning you this is a little idiot to make something with potential but throwing away a potential like that with only 1 episode and a pathetic end... 

About The Animation and Sounds
the anime have a good animation this is not bad at all thats great graphics , for the sound im sure you have already see it but i will leave you the vids , i like them just a little bit

Opening/Ending ( they are in the same video )

About The Characters
we have a lot of characters but... fk it i dont know what to say..i just like 2 characters thats it.. because of their personality..

Hestia / the most popular girl i think because this is a loli and a goddess with big oppai and wear a ribbon under his oppai yeah she is cute and nice thats why i like her , she is very kind too if she love you.. and very jealous ... LOOL
Aiz Wallenstein / a beautiful girl who the main characters fall in love with it.. i understand him thats a real beauty with a personality i like thats impossible to hate her she is just soo calm and a little funny because she is a little airhead but not too much and this is the more bad ass girl in the anime i think

Bell-Cranell / thats the main characters , he want to be strong because he want to be good for the girl who he have fall in love with and just become strong like her for being notice if you know what i mean so he will train just for that not just for that but because he want to protect his goddess too and others some reason.. , thats not a bad character i just dont like when he scream in fight thats look a little weird...LOOOl

About The Enjoyment
yeah thats enjoyable thats funny this is just the thing about the story who are a little stupid to have make this like that... i dont know where this anime is gonna go but anyway let him a little chance for see what is gonna happened this is just after the episode who he become.. Rank S easily like that at this moment they have throw everything and destroyed the hope i have get for this anime... this is the only thing who gonna fk up ur enjoyment... but yeah thats just good

just watch it if you want but i will recomand only this anime if you have nothing to watch..if you have liked SAO im pretty sure you will like this one too... because thats look like MMORPG game but who happen in real life.. i dont know if you follow correctly what i say.. but anyway...  everything can be alright the potential have just been ruined by the pathetic no logical episode everything have been alright just before this episode.. after that everything have fked up... really..... i can be a little rude but thats just true... i have liked this anime just before they make this fking pathetic episode thats only fking thing... and the end have just deceiving me... thats just soo simple..