Back to the dungeon we go, with the monster-vs-man war in full swing. Last season, I complained how we didn’t spend enough time in the titular dungeon – season 3 is making up for it in spades. Also, who knew that the 18th floor (Rivira) would be so important? Let’s get into it!
This episode was a reward to those of us who stuck it out through season 2. We have all the backstories coming into play here – Lili’s tormentor, Ryuu’s vendetta, and a very special sentient monster who Bell will be delighted to see. This time around, though, the world building with Daedalus’ obsession felt much more natural than season 2’s red-light district. Of course, for those of you who know their Greek mythology – I had to look it up – Daedalus is best known as the creator of the Labyrinth (hence the title), where…that’s right, you guessed it, the Minotaur lived. Some mangaka love trains, others thighs….but Fujino Ōmori seems to love mythology.
Overall, this season’s story feels so much more cohesive and connected. The new characters have integrated nicely and feel part of the world – they don’t feel shoe-horned in (looking at you Ishtar). Even season 2’s surviving additions, Aisha and Haruhime, have filled their roles nicely. It’s also nice to see Mr. Skeleton Mage get some action after being Uranus’s errand boy the past three seasons – he stopped a curse! Good skeleton! Also nice to see the magic mechanics being fleshed out, with curses and spells getting better explanations.
The settings and background look great, the action animation is still passable – this is all DanMachi needs to do to succeed. The plot is easy: kill (okay, disable) the bad guy who is making friends fight each other and save the little girl. Easy and straightforward. That doesn’t mean there is no nuance in the story. As I said before, I’m a big fan of the monsters – especially Lyd’s – dilemma – it’s the doves vs hawks conflict found in any group at war.
So halfway mark and DanMachi is looking great. Animation isn’t anything to write home about, but everything else is solid – the backgrounds and settings have also really stepped it up a notch. We’ll probably be seeing a midseason boss fight, so here’s to hoping that gets well animated. I think what’s going to be the most interesting is what happens next in Orario – that’s where I’m expecting the real adventurer civil war to take place. How they handle that is going to be the determinant on if this is a good season or a great one. Here’s to hoping!
Also, mythology may be the main gimmick, but someone seems to like bloomers.
