Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?

Episode 5

A lot happens in this episode of Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? – maybe a little too much. Coming fast on the heels of the English-language release of volume two of the novel, this episode tries to cover roughly half of that book in twenty-three minutes, a feat that, while technically successful, dims the allure of the actual story. Nothing is quite given enough time or development, and while there is at least one major clue dropped, it just isn't as good as the previous episodes.

As you may remember from last week, Freya was up to what is probably no good where Bell is concerned and Hestia got her first glimpse of Bell and Lili together, both important points in this week's episode. Hestia, in a fit of jealousy, has gone out drinking with her buddy Miach, an Irish god with a knack for herbals. Her next day hangover miraculously cures itself when Bell offers to take her to dinner, and she makes a run on the Divine Baths, where a slip of the tongue results in her “date” (that's what she thinks it is; Bell's take on it is less certain) being ruined by a bevy of interested goddesses. Probably the most interesting part of this if you're not watching for Bell to get his face smushed in Demeter's breasts is that there's a strong implication that Hestia is a virgin goddess not because it's required by her powers, but because she has no luck with men. I'm sure the Vestal Virgins would be very interested to know that...

Later on, Syr gives Bell a mysterious book that has been left in the tavern, which, when he reads it, has a strange result. This, you may recall, is the book Freya pulled from her shelves at the end of last week's episode, but her exact motive in helping Bell to power up remains uncertain. It certainly freaks Hestia out a bit, which would imply a sinister motivation on Freya's part and makes me wonder what Bell's realis phrase might be doing to him physically. Can such massive status improvements have an effect on him in terms of health or longevity? It certain has one on his brain power, as he ends up passed out in the dungeon for Aiz to find...meanwhile, there are two more plots going on, one involving Eina trying to figure out what's going on with the Soma Familia and the issue of whether or not Lili is as honest as Bell thinks she is. Like I said, that's a lot for one episode, and it really feels like there's major condensing of the source material going on, which gives a disjointed feel that the show has avoided previously. Hopefully it will slow down once we hit where the anime writers feel the story gets more interesting or important, because this decrease in storytelling quality could be a problem if it persists.

All of that aside, there are some good details here, mostly about Lili. Lili, who at first was assumed to be a prum, later revealed herself to be a chienthrope, or dog person. This meant that she had canine ears under her hood and a little tail beneath her cloak, but when we see her talking with some thugs from her guild, she's only got her red hood on...and there's no tail to be seen. We already know she's not being entirely honest with Bell, and this shows us that she may be even more dishonest than we initially thought, or at least confirms it for those who were suspicious to begin with. Her need for money, linked to the Soma Familia by Eina initially, also begins to look like it might be due to something different, and the man Bell saved her from might not just have been preying on a defenseless girl. This part, most closely linked to the main plot it would seem, is the least represented but also the most interesting, and we'll have to see how long it takes Bell to catch on, if his trusting nature lets him do so at all. We also this week get our first hint that Aiz may have real feelings underneath her taciturn exterior, which does good things for her as a character, even if not much is done with it.

Dungeon's fifth episode may be suffering from too full and disjointed an episode, but it does still maintain its watchability. This is a low point in what has come thus far, but it's still fun and provides some plot points that should prove important later on, and Hestia in her date clothes is a nice treat for her fans. Hopefully next week will put us back on track – it looks like Eina's going to find out what she wants and Lili's going to make her move, and if those things pan out, this “getting there” episode can be forgiven.

Rating: C

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Rebecca Silverman is ANN's senior manga critic.