If you had asked me back in 2015 about my expectations for Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, I would’ve probably given some kind of flippant answer that entailed fan service, brevity, and a distinct lack of longevity. I do recall at the time of the original’s airing that the longer title was something of a novelty, one that quickly wore off in the following years with subsequent fantasy titles seemingly competing for character count. We’re now eight years past the first season with a sequel that is easily my favorite of them all.
Citing this fourth season (part two) as my favorite doesn’t come without a little bit of guilt. There’s an unsettling feelings of replacement when comparing Ryu with Bell’s original muse, Ais Wallenstein. I remember my tentative enjoyment of the first season, learning about this world of gods, goddesses, dungeons, and adventurers. I’ve always been a sucker for Greek mythology, and that naturally extended to Danmachi’s familia spanning multiple cultures’ deities. And as stoic as Ais was on her introduction, I hoped to see that change her encounter with Bell and his resulting growth. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. While Bell improved rapidly, Ais seemed emotionally stagnant no matter how many episodes and seasons passed and quickly I stopped considering her a contender for his affections. There were plenty other distractions to replace her, though none of them serious enough to gain traction.
This season gave us uninterrupted time for the very first time with Bell and Ryu. The circumstances were pretty shitty, but it still cemented a bond that otherwise would have likely never formed. They saw each other as their most vulnerable, and saved each other multiple times when it might have been more prudent to abandon the other. So while I find most romantic pairings in fantasies like these predictable and forced, this one felt right. I could have done without the embarrassed skin-bearing scenes, but I don’t fault the show for catering to its established audience.
The high stakes of their journey through the deep levels also provided viewers with a sense of danger previously unexperienced in earlier seasons. Sure, we had near-death moments against enraged beasts or hostile familia, but I never felt an almost hopeless acceptance at the dungeon’s determination to kill them. They literally only ever get 5 minutes of respite between fights, and almost zero supplies to nourish and heal. Our characters spending an entire season in the depths was something I had craved from the very beginning of this franchise.
I was relieved to also get time with the rest of the Hestia familia and co. as they battled their way down to meet Bell and Ryu. Members formerly glossed over got spotlight this season, gaining their own strengths and reaffirming their role in the party. While they took less of a priority in the overall plot, seeing them truly struggle made their survival and eventual meeting with their missing friends more convincing and satisfying.
I honestly don’t know where the franchise is going to go from here now since I feel like we’ve gotten a bit of everything up to this point. There was plenty of comedy and fan service in earlier seasons and spinoffs, and now my cravings for a good hack and slash have been similarly fulfilled. If they decided to stop production here, I’d be okay with it. None of the seasons really feel complete on their own, this one included.
Rating: 1 dango
*Rating system:
- 0 dango – average and forgettable.
- 1 dango – very good in its category.
- 2 dango – excellent show that is worth a try.
- 3 dango – exceptional show one must watch.
Anime B&B 