Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? (2015)
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Season 1
Director: Yoshiki Yamakawa
Studio: JC Staff
Starring: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Inori Minase, Saori Onishi
Episodes: 13
Synopsis:
Rookie adventurer Bel Cranel seeks to win fame, fortune and the love of the Sword Princess Aiz Wallenstein with the help of his patron goddess.
Impressions:
When checking out the spring releases, this one caught my eye by virtue of the title alone. I started following it and now that it's wrapped, I'm fairly satisfied with what I got. Basically, imagine a dungeoncrawler RPG where the characters are aware of the game system (they have character sheets and record stat growth, etc.). If this concept appeals to you, then you may well enjoy it.
Now, the protagonist Bel Cranel and his patroness Hestia are likely to be the primary bones of contention. Bel's your typical socially awkward idealist who's obviously meant to be an avatar of the target demographic. If you don't like this sort of main character who serves as a vehicle for the wish fulfillment of teenage Japanese nerds (to include being an OP snowflake), it may be a dealbreaker. I hear that basic principle is one of the big complaints with Sword Art Online, whose lead happens to have the same seiyuu. Then there's Hestia, whose clingy jealous girl schtick is more likely to annoy than to endear. There are also harem elements that play in the whole wish fulfillment fantasy. I'm not a huge fan of these shortcomings, but they weren't dealbreakers for me. I really wish that there was more emphasis on Bel learning to work as a team rather than letting him solo time after time. (He does learn the value of a party, but he still gets the lion's share of the glory, which may feel unearned both in-universe and out.) These gripes didn't keep me away, but I know some viewers have rejected the series for these an other reasons.
For the most part, the show looks good, with an appealing style and good animation. There's some fanservice as you might imagine from one look at Hestia, but it's not excessive. Performances are fully up to the task.
If you like RPGs and anime, this is a nice blend of both. So long as you're not turned off by the main characters (and I know that's a rather big deal), you should find this a fun watch.
Rating:
Watch It