The goddess has stepped onto the battlefield.
What They Say:
Show | Evil Intentions
Based off of a light novel of the same name written by Fujino Omori and illustrated by Suzuhito Yasuda, Is It Wrong to Try and Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? is set in the world of Orario, where adventurers band together and look for treasures in an underground labyrinth known as Dungeon. However, for Bell Cranel, fame and riches are secondary to what he wants to find the most: girls. He soon finds out though, that anything can happen in Dungeon, and winds up being the damsel in distress instead!
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
For as much as people like to talk about boobs in regard to this show, there’s really not that much fanservice. Certain quotas have to be met, though, and with most of the female cast in the kind of setting they’ve all ended up in, it’s only natural that they would plan a group bathing session, and we’d be getting a look at it whether or not our protagonist did. Bell isn’t the sort to pursue such ideas on his own, though, so it takes the other god in the group, the mischievous Hermes, to drag him along an adventure in dishonorable manhood that inevitably turns into a much more personal experience, exclusively for Bell himself, despite his best attempts to avoid it. While Bell’s harem magnet isn’t an element I love, there is something refreshing about the immediate reaction of the girls who she splashes into not being shrieks and slaps but welcoming him with open arms and exposed everything, literally proud of him for what they assume is such boldness. The reactions of the different girls vary, of course, but they’re generally more amusing than the standard assault on the unintentional guest. That doesn’t make Bell any less apologetic, though, and he runs away from all of these girls… straight into another one who is less welcoming of peepers. It’s Ryu, and while she had a fine showing a few episodes ago, she gets to appear as a real character with backstory to care about in this one. She’s generally been a pretty likable character and this deepens her a bit, so while it seems a tad sudden, it’s perfectly valuable content.
Much of the episode centers on the same kind of jealous losers we’ve seen giving dirty looks to Bell since he leveled up plotting against and eventually attacking him. It’s essentially a bullying episode, but Hermes offers the perspective of it actually being a necessary step for Bell, as he’s too naïve to realize that humanity has some pretty dark spots that no warrior can get by without understanding, even those – especially those – who desire to be heroes. Bell gets himself into this predicament by trying to rescue Hestia, but as is usually the case, although he has his own impressive counters, it’s ultimately Bell who needs to be saved, this time by Hestia herself.
And that’s easily the best part of the episode. The usually comical Hestia drops the hairclips and reminds us – or really shows for the first time – she is in fact a divine being capable of causing all those around her to submit to her authority. It’s sudden but all the more striking because of it, quite a spectacular display for a character so commonly utilized for scenes that evoke drastically different feelings. With seconds she’s back to normal Hestia, and it’s all the better for it.
In Summary:
Despite almost being over, the series doesn’t seem terribly concerned with accomplishing a whole lot in its late stages. The gang hangs around, engaging in some fanservice antics and letting Bell grow from bullying. The real gold is from Hestia’s first true showing as a god, though.
Grade: B
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Roku 3, Sceptre X425BV-FHD 42″ Class LCD HDTV.
