Never underestimate the weak … they may even surprise themselves.
Creative Staff:
Illustrations By: Takashi Yagi
Original Story: Fujino Omori
Character Design: Kiyotaka Haimura & Suzuhito Yasuda
Translation: Andrew Gaippe
What They Say:
The Dungeon calls adventurers deep into its labyrinth in search of personal growth, strength, and experience. But the Dungeon is a tough master-one wrong move, one bad choice, and permanent death awaits.
Lefiya, Bete, and Filvis arrive at the twenty-fourth-floor pantry looking for Aiz but instead stumble upon Hermes Familia in distress. A deadly foe has the adventurers up against the ropes and struggling to stay alive.
They’ve uncovered the mystery of the carnivorous flower monsters but are losing hope they’ll make it back to the surface to warn Orario. Can they escape the Dungeon, or will it finally have the last word?
Content (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Hermes Familia had been hired to search for the truth behind the disturbance within the Dungeon’s twenty-fourth floor, an area known as the Pantry however as they ventured deeper into its mysteries, they soon found themselves trapped within the ferocity of numerous violas. With many of their own having fallen to these irregulars and even captain Asfi having been conquered by a human supposedly giving them orders, they too found themselves without support as the labyrinth created barriers to separate Aiz from the rest, with the sole purpose of allowing the red-headed tamer named Levis to have a new contest against her self appointed rival. And now with the survivors looking to chientrope Lulune for leadership the normally carefree rogue is panicking as her world closes in via a sickening mass of tentacles, ready to join her compatriots in death. It is only the sudden appearance of three familiar figures who bring hope as cloaked assassins close in – a werewolf and two elves … Bete, Lefiya, and Filvis now unleashing their primal might via a series of powerful kicks and unrivaled magic power.
As the tide turns once again and Lulune confesses as to the situation under threat of violence from Bete, the humanoid beast has no choice than to save the severely wounded Asfi in the midst of this viola created chaos. With no hesitation he launches himself against the pompous man who stands above them all, his obnoxious defiance daring the werewolf to challenge him knowing he is more than a match for anyone who stands below him. This fact is soon easily proven for with each powerful strike which would have easy taken down any high level monster, this unimaginable abomination either easily dodges or callously swats them away effortlessly. Seeing her teammate in trouble Lefiya prepares a new spell to level the playing field, but hesitates when she sees there is no clear line of sight by which Bete mercilessly shouts to release the magic. Arcs Ray, a high level destruction chant which never misses its target explosively illuminates the battlefield and propels itself toward the overconfident man, only to be suddenly surprised as it veers and impacts its true quarry – the mythril sheen of Bete’s prized boots called Frosvirt. This powerful combat armor is the werewolf’s secret weapon for whatever magic is absorbed by the jewels embedded within its metallic surface amplifies his forceful kicks according to the enchantment now stored. With the tide now turned Vanargand launches into a new frontal assault which appeared to be forcing his foe back and as he kept the man occupied Hermes Familia snuck in and saved the injured Asfi, but everything was not as it appeared to be. Once a high flying strike impacts in front of his opponent and shattered his mysterious mask, the truth behind his identity was startlingly revealed as a person who was thought to be long dead. It was the former disciple of the group once known as the Evils and the mastermind of the massacre now called the Twenty-Seventh Floor Nightmare, the one they called Vendetta, or as others knew him by his real name – Olivas Act. There is a true monster unveiled within their midst and if he is the one behind all of this misery … how can they ever hope to defeat him?
In Summary:
While this volume was overwhelmingly exciting within the light novel and relentlessly exhilarating during the same named anime, neither is as ambitious as what unfolds now through the talented hands of Yagi-sensei, wonderfully creating a new outcome for our adventurers and showing even the most under-appreciated elf can become a savior. While one would assume Aiz is the central focus given the series reflects her skillful wielding of Desperate, this story permits Omori-sensei to expand upon other equally important moments within the primary story and allows for him to expose readers to the suffering often overlooked within other mediums. This is especially painful when we see the struggles of Hermes Familia, something which was never displayed within the show nor discussed in detail within the original source material, instead their impact was kept to a minimum so as to primarily concentrate on our golden-haired heroine’s battle with Levis and the revelation of how the Evils survived. But their losses are monumental when you consider shifting the center of attention on Lefiya and her reputation as one of the most powerful spellcasters in Orario, allowing this mage to be the hero of this book but only as others sacrifice themselves to protect the talented supporter in an effort to release her overwhelming magic. To visually appreciate a new viewpoint opens up new expressions for the same narrative, engraving into our memories that others must suffer in order for a few to shine, but it is in our relationship with history which we must remember to never forget their names and praise them for their heroism.
This manga version of Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? On the Side: Sword Oratoria creates a visually stunning portrayal of how one title may have multiple viewpoints and a simple shift in a story’s narrative can display heart-rending memories which are so much more powerful than the original. To witness the devastation of Hermes Familia during a primary plot line is horrendous, but at the same time by allowing Lefiya to become the central character within the event displays her in a new light, not as someone who sees herself as powerless compared to her peers but now a person is just as valued when she becomes more confident in her own abilities. But the cost of this insight is truly chilling and hopefully, future volumes will allow Thousand Elf to reflect on their sacrifice instead of allowing it to be forgotten in lieu of more exciting moments.
Content Grade: A+
Art Grade: A+
Packaging Grade: A+
Text/Translation Grade: A-
Age Rating: Teen
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: April 30, 2019
MSRP: $13.00
