Yes! Yes, I am, actually. And, no, you’re not bothering me Supporter-chan. Not in the least. I’m just trying to figure out how I can explain to these fine folks that Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? (Danmachi) is a good show, worthy of their time. I sure as hell didn’t expect to enjoy the show as much as I did. I did not think this was for me, and I am not confident recommending it to me would have done much good. Yet again, I was wrong. And, I want to speak to those out there like me who might miss out on an enjoyable experience. Hmmm…how can I communicate how much fun this show is?
Any ideas, Supporter-chan?
OK…OK, that’s pretty good, Supporter-chan. Good job. This is the best anime toothbrush scene this side of Nisemonogatari!
So, Danmachi is my surprise of the year. I should note that this isn’t one of those, “You have no idea what this show really is” pieces. One look at the key art conveys a lot of the content in Danmachi. Yes, this show has a lot of cute,, scantily clad ladies. Yes, there is fan service, and quite a bit of it (thought I do not recall any of it being gross or super exploitative). Insofar as it contains these elements, Danmachi is what you think it is; however, that stuff isn’t all there is. I went into this show wanting a fan-service show that would allow me to totally turn my brain off. I wasn’t anticipating engaging with it at all, yet there is such a warm and welcoming sense of fun about the show. Most of the main cast is very likable (one of the maids is an absolute bad ass), and I relished my time with them all.
Danmachi walks this fine line between relaxing show full of character interaction and cliched fantasy-RPG adventure. It has the trendy, silly overt video game systems (“I leveled up!”), but these don’t get in the way of the important stuff. There is also a rote fantasy plot playing out, but the show doesn’t really shift out of its pleasant tone. Despite the inevitable “big fight at the end” you kind of know everyone is going to make it out alive. It’s not the sort of show primarily concerned with battles; instead, Danmachi delivers a comforting message about the nature and value of family. And, despite it’s short run time, I felt genuinely sad to have to leave its universe.
Beyond these words, I’m not sure how I can convince you, dear reader, to give this show a shot if you’re not inclined to. I suppose I can hope for the phenomenon I mention in Day 5 to occur again, only this time with me as the persistent recommender. Do it for Supporter-chan.
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