Is DanMachi Worth your Time? – A Complete Review

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? (Danjon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darō ka), also known as DanMachi for short, is a Japanese light novel series written by Fujino Ōmori and illustrated by Suzuhito Yasuda.

The series follows the quests of Bell Cranel, a 14-year-old adventurer under the goddess Hestia.

He is the sole member of the Hestia Familia and works hard to sustain himself by proving his worth in the dungeon.

The anime television adaptation by JC Staff is currently on Season 3 which has been postponed and will air in fall 2020 due to the pandemic.

Over 9 million copies of the light novel were in print as of January 2018.

1. Quick Review

The DanMachi series takes place in the fictional city of Orario. The story is set in a time when gods all came down to the lower world, seeking excitement.

They would limit their divine powers so that they could experience life like their worshippers and understand their hardships.

The Gods would offer mortals the chance to fight all sorts of monsters in an underground network known as Dungeon.

Adventurers who visited the dungeon and defeated these monsters would get to take home valuable crystal shards.

These crystal shards can be used to craft magic items, other such treasures and can even be exchanged for the world’s currency.

DanMachi - Trailer

The citizens of Orario join groups called Familia who perform various functions from dungeon crawling to crafting items.

Each Familia is named after and serves a resident deity. Similar to games involving role-play, the adventurers are grouped into levels, increasing their levels and abilities according to their achievements.

DanMachi follows the life of Bell Cranel, a young adventurer who explores dangerous dungeons and fights monsters for a living. He serves under the goddess Hestia.

The show does a fantastic job in bringing originality to the table.

We get to witness some never before seen monsters. The storyline blesses us with some interesting twists and that makes the show a pleasure to watch.

2. Info Card

3. Is it Worth Watching?

DanMachi is a series that keeps the action coming in waves. The show rarely stagnates.

J.C. Staff did justice to the anime with some well-polished art and average but enjoyable animation.

Fights have plenty of thrill and impact because of the well-produced sound.

The fights are the show’s strong point and if you’re someone who enjoys watching a good action-packed anime with an interesting story to boot, you should check this one out.

I. Plot

The story follows the journey of a 14-year-old solo adventurer, Bell Cranel. He serves under the goddess Hestia and is the only member of the Hestia Familia.

He works hard every day in the dungeon to survive while constantly seeking to improve himself. In the city of Orario, survival is a privilege that must be earned. Nothing can be predicted in a world where gods and humans live and work together. 

The plot in DanMachi keeps things interesting because new events and twists are constantly thrown into the mix.

The enemies that the main character Bell comes across, make him face his fears of being weak and push him to work harder. Some fights also result in a little bit of character development in terms of fighting techniques. 

II. Characters

BELL CRANEL

Bell Cranel is the main male protagonist and the captain of the Hestia Familia. 

His character is described as a kind, straightforward, brave, yet shy boy who desires to be a hero like the ones he grew up reading about.

He cares deeply for the people around him, especially his Goddess, Hestia, and his Familia.

Belle often acts based on his feelings, causing him to be caught up in trouble. He looks up to Ais Wallenstein, a famous and powerful swordswoman who once saved his life.

HESTIA

Hestia is a Goddess and head of the Hestia Familia.

She is described as a kind and energetic Goddess who also dreams of being in a relationship with Bell.

Being a goddess, she still acknowledges the children of the lower world. The Hestia Familia is an exploration type Familia, that is led by Hestia. 

The Hestia Familia emblem is fire with a bell, representing Hestia and Bell. Hestia chose this emblem because the Familia started with just the two of them.

AIS WALLENSTEIN

Ais Wallenstein is a first-class adventurer and an executive of the Loki Familia. 

Among the small fraction of first-class adventurers, she is considered one of the strongest.

Ais is mostly a quiet person who has trouble talking about her feelings and hence, comes off as being mysterious.

She also doesn’t look down on the weak despite being a First Class Adventurer.

III. Setting 

The story is set in the fictional city of Orario to when gods all came down looking for some earthly thrills.

They restrain their celestial powers to understand and experience the difficulties that exist in the lower world.

The Gods present the people of Orario with the option to fight assorted monsters in an underground labyrinth known as Dungeon, and take home valuable rewards.

IV. Theme Songs 

The opening theme for the first season is “Hey World” by Yuka Iguchi.

The ending themes for the first season are “Hey World” by Yuka Iguchi,  “Right light Rise” by Kanon Wakeshima, and “Realize ~Hajimari no Toki~” by Liliruca Arde.

The opening theme for the second season is “Hello to Dream” by Iguchi, and the ending theme is “Sayakana Shukusai” by Sora Tob Sakana.

The opening theme for the third season is “Over and Over” by Iguchi, and the ending theme is by Sora Tob Sakana.

The music used in the DanMachi series sound like generic Japanese pop and do not stand out.

The background music, however, does set the mood for the medieval times which is what the show is going for.

Even if the music doesn’t become a significant factor of the series, it doesn’t detract from it but in fact, plays its part as a subtle partition between episodes.

V. Action Sequences

The action sequences in DanMachi play their part in completing the story and deserve to be praised.

With the existence of a dungeon where mortals and monsters fight to the death, it is obvious that we would expect some out-of-this-world action. 

The design of the monsters and the animation are plus points that make the fight sequences fantastic.

The sound used in the series adds another level of excellence to the fights as you can feel the weight behind every sword swing and fistfights.

4. Grade

5. Final Thoughts

DanMachi is a series filled with action, romance, comedy, and adventure that comes in leaps, and bounds.

It has a story that is easy to navigate through and doesn’t require too much attention.

The show is an amalgam of some fantastic action scenes, beautiful art, and decent animation