Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? S2 Ep 1 [First Impression]

Eva’s First Impression
AHHHHHH I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR SO LONG! I ALWAYS KNEW IN MY HEART THAT DANMACHI WOULD GET A SECOND SEASON! IT WAS SO WORTH THE WAIT, AND TO THINK THERE’S EVEN A MOVIE TO FOLLOW UP ON THIS TOO!? It’s a great time to be a DanMachi fan!

Truth to be told, coming into the second season, I wanted to be caught up to volumes this season is covering. But it has been so long since I have last read the series, that I don’t even remember which volume I had left off. (This episode tells me though I haven’t read volume 6, as I initially thought. It was a mistake of not putting a bookmark somewhere!!!!!) But then my plans of revisiting the novels from the very beginning over the course of last weekend was shoehorned by some unexpected changes to my schedule, so that pretty much left me with no other choice than to watch the recap special that aired last week— and thank god for that!

This means I am going into this season completely blind, which is ironic considering the first season was the first time I had actually read the novel before its anime adaption had aired. But on the flip-side of things, this means more surprises, so it actually works in my favour. Besides, if I am itching for more details, all I need to do is just pick up the book and read it since I own all the volumes. (I have a habit of stockpiling volumes of series I love before finally resuming the series. It’s something I have been doing since I started collecting Spice and Wolf novels, when at the time, only two volumes came out per year). And believe me, after this premiere, I really want to catch up to the series ASAP! BUT NOW I ALSO DON’T WANT TO SPOIL MYSELF!

The struggle is real.

If you don’t remember much from the first season, or fell behind in the books like I had, I highly recommend watching the recap special: Episode 0. It was a good refresh, and the character commentaries made it quite fun to watch! There were times I even  felt nostalgic, as it reminded me exactly why I fell in love with this series in the first place. I think it was last year or so when I did rewatch the last few episodes of the series, particularly the fight of Bell VS Freya’s Buffed Up Minotaur, as well as the major floor boss battle that unfolded in the area that was supposed to be a safe haven for Adventurers, but that was it.

So here’s a a quick refresh of what you need to know going into this season:

• Story take place in the Labyrinth City of Orario, where adventurers from Familias (overseen by the Deities) go into the dungeon to fight monsters and gather loot. The Deities offer their “children” blessings, enabling them to become Adventurers and through experience they grow stronger and gain new skills. The deities are forbidden from entering the Dungeon, but some break the rules anyways.
• Bell is part of Hestia’s Famila
• Bell’s party consists, Lili (Support) and Welf Crozzo, a blacksmith from Hephaistios’ Familia
• There a psycho Goddess Freya, who has been lusting for Bell from afar, constantly pushing him to evolve
• If you’re new and are curious about my thoughts of the first season, you can check it out here: DanMachi Season 1

Without any further delay here are my thoughts on DanMachi’s S2 Premiere!

Holy smokes, what a start to the season. Shit hits the fan right from the start, then we get some fluff in the middle and then we get slapped with Apollo declaring a War Game against Hestia’s Familia in retaliation of Bell “injuring” his children. Before watching this, I regretted not being able to have caught up the books, but after watching this, I am actually glad I that I didn’t, and as tempted as I am to pick up the books and get reading again, I’m going to try and hold back just so that I can be kept in the dark for the insanity to come.

Jesus, Bell, Lili and Welf were all out drinking in to celebrate Welf ranking up to Level 2 when some dipshit from the Apollo Familia decides to spoil the fun by trash-talking them and Bell’s Goddess, Hestia. Lili tried her hardest to keep the boys under control so that they wouldn’t be provoked, but unfortunately as soon as they started going on about Hestia’s dignity, that’s when Bell couldn’t take it anymore and snapped back at them. But the one to start the brawl was in fact Welf, when he smacked the guy with his mug, and it got messy from there on out. While Bell and Welf were doing okay, the tables quickly turned on them when Hyakinthos, a Level 3 Adventurer entered the fight and single handily wrecked the two of them, but between the two, Bell was the one who was left in a bloody mess. I don’t know what would have become of Bell had Bete not intervened, because it looked almost as though Hyakinthos wanted to kill him right then and there.

Nevertheless, the way the situation had evolved leads me to believe that either Apollo’s children had deliberately provoked Bell so they would fall into Apollo’s “War Game” trap, or else, he decided to exploit the opportunity presented to him, which would later be revealed at the God’s Banquet he was hosting. Only then the intent is made clear, that it was a ploy to seize custody of Bell so he would be once of his own children— a pressing issue that has existed since the first season, namely with Freya.

And goodness gracious, just when we thought Freya was freaking crazy enough, Apollo takes it to a whole new level— and unpleasantly so. (Seriously, what’s up with those gross expressions?! EW. STAY AWAY FROM BELL.). Fortunately not all his children are nasty like the ones who picked the fight, or Hyakinthos who single-handily wrecked Bell and Welf, as Daphne and Cassandra even dropped a subtle warning “you don’t have to come” and their “condolences” when they passed him the invitation. Nevertheless, even if Hestia and Bell had not attended the party, Apollo no doubt would have pursued through through other means. After-all, even though Welf (from Hephaistios’ Familia) was also part of the fight, it seems as though Apollo’s spite is being specifically directed to Hestia due to their history, along with Bell’s potential.

Aside from the tension and drama that has erupted between Apollo’s and Hestia’s Familia, the fluff that took place during the banquet was such a treat. I absolutely loved seeing Hermes and Miach both acted as Bell’s wingman, giving him that much needed push and advice on how to ask Ais for a dance. Bell had initially shied away because of how the relationship dynamic between Familias (or in this case, the rivalry between Loki and Hestia, particularly over “my child is cuter than yours”). Although some details are hazy, one of the key things I do remember is how rare it actually is for members of a Familia to party up or even be friends with children from other Familias— something htat was also brought up when Apollo’s children were trying to get under Bell’s skin. This is because of the rivalry or tension between the deities, which can sometimes (in worst case scenarios) lead to a war between them, so more often than not, the children only work among their own Familias. It is also why Bell’s party consisting Lili, Welf and Makoto (all from different Familia) is so unusual. (In the matter of fact, Lili had intially thought since Welf had ranked up, he no longer had any reason to be part of the party. Luckily, Welf has no intentions of leaving them, yay!)

And gosh I absolutely adore Bell and Ais. They are so freaking cute and precious, I was squealing away when they first saw each other at the party, and then when they finally danced! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THEY ARE SO ADORABLE TOGETHER, I LITTERALLY CAN’T! Ais was very pretty in the green dress, and Bell looked charming in his tux! Too bad their fun was cut short, damn you Apollo.

Overall this was a fantastic way to kick off the season. Buckle up, because we are in store for heck of a wild one. As they are cast into a War Game, i half wonder if Freya will actually try and figure out a way to get bring a herd of Minotaurs to ‘spice up’ the party, even though she was advised against doing that. (Just goes to show how insane she is!) The conditions and rules of how the War Game has yet to be divulged, but whatever it is, no doubt is Hestia at a huge disadvantage with Bell as the sole member of her Familia. On top of that, there’s a lot of suspicious activity going on, particularly with Hyakinthos secretly meeting up with a man in the garden during the party (hopefully he didn’t notice Bell watching, as he wasn’t exactly discreet). That said, although Bell didn’t act on it, his instincts have been ringing the alarm bells for the incoming danger since the moment he had arrived to the party.

Possibility of Blogging: Guaranteed- LETS GOOOOOO!!