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REVIEW: Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Novels 17-18 Review




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Key
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Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 18112
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Sun Mar 17, 2024 12:15 pm Reply with quote
Fully agree with the review, especially the recommendation to read Episode Freya first and about the bloat. The two volumes together are close to 800 pages, and it would definitely be a tighter (and maybe better) story with at least 70-80 pages of that trimmed out. This is one place where I'm hoping the upcoming anime adaptation will do some judicious trimming.

Still, pretty strong story arc overall with some interesting twists and revelations. Very interested to see where certain aspects of the overall story go next.
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FilthyCasual



Joined: 01 Jun 2015
Posts: 2155
PostPosted: Sun Mar 17, 2024 12:56 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
allowing him this many pages means he's free to indulge in his trademark overwritten fight scenes
Can't say I've ever agreed with this criticism and I'm not about to start now. I also found the arc to be extremely satisfying with solid payoff for multiple characters, and I can't wait for the next anime season. It's interesting how the solution was for spoiler[Freya to abandon her divine role that she felt trapped by. I forget the specifics of Horn's magic; does Horn have to transform when Freya does or is there just no longer a Freya around?] I'm also really interested in seeing the fallout of V18 and where everyone ended up. spoiler[Where did all of the Freya Familia big names go? Is Bell Level 6 now?] A Loki Familia perspective on V17 would also be fascinating.
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killjoy_the



Joined: 30 May 2015
Posts: 2451
PostPosted: Sun Mar 17, 2024 1:04 pm Reply with quote
I've fallen out of love with this series starting in volume 14 or so, but was pleasantly surprised by volume 18 being really good, though I do feel like it runs into the problem 14 also did (in a lesser amount of course) where the narrative keeps going on about how impossible it all is when you just know that things are gonna turn around somehow anyway
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Key
Moderator


Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 18112
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Sun Mar 17, 2024 2:13 pm Reply with quote
FilthyCasual wrote:
Quote:
allowing him this many pages means he's free to indulge in his trademark overwritten fight scenes
Can't say I've ever agreed with this criticism and I'm not about to start now.

I don't think the franchise always had this problem, but it's definitely crept up over time, both in the main series and in Sword Oratoria. The first place I remember noticing it was in v6 of the latter during the fights involving spoiler[The Amazon Twins and their Vali Familia counterparts], but it's appeared to some degree in most major fight scenes in both the main series and SA at least since that point.

Granted, it's not a huge flaw, but it does feel like Omori is aiming for the spirit of drawn-out shonen action battle scenes, and I don't feel that works as well in novel form. The anime adaptations of s2-4 have mostly kept it under wraps, though the longer format for s4 did allow a bit to creep in (especially in the Amphisbaena battle).
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GhostD



Joined: 07 May 2016
Posts: 998
PostPosted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 2:13 am Reply with quote
FilthyCasual wrote:
Quote:
allowing him this many pages means he's free to indulge in his trademark overwritten fight scenes
Can't say I've ever agreed with this criticism and I'm not about to start now. I also found the arc to be extremely satisfying with solid payoff for multiple characters, and I can't wait for the next anime season. It's interesting how the solution was for spoiler[Freya to abandon her divine role that she felt trapped by. I forget the specifics of Horn's magic; does Horn have to transform when Freya does or is there just no longer a Freya around?] I'm also really interested in seeing the fallout of V18 and where everyone ended up. spoiler[Where did all of the Freya Familia big names go? Is Bell Level 6 now?] A Loki Familia perspective on V17 would also be fascinating.


spoiler[Theres no Loki Familia perspective on the Fertility arc. SO vol 13 takes place after vol 18 and vol 14 is Finn, Gareth and Riveria's backstories that were originally short stories but once again compiled into a single vol. As for the fallout of vol 18 its explained pretty early in vol 19 and Bell is NOT yet level 6.]

About spoiler[Horn's magic. She doesn't need to transform when Freya does so it is possible for there to be 2 Freyas at the same time or no Freya present at all. It doesn't matter anyway because the entire Familia knows the truth. Or at least the executives know.][/spoiler]

Key wrote:
I don't think the franchise always had this problem, but it's definitely crept up over time, both in the main series and in Sword Oratoria. The first place I remember noticing it was in v6 of the latter during the fights involving spoiler[The Amazon Twins and their Vali Familia counterparts], but it's appeared to some degree in most major fight scenes in both the main series and SA at least since that point.

Granted, it's not a huge flaw, but it does feel like Omori is aiming for the spirit of drawn-out shonen action battle scenes, and I don't feel that works as well in novel form. The anime adaptations of s2-4 have mostly kept it under wraps, though the longer format for s4 did allow a bit to creep in (especially in the Amphisbaena battle).


I agree with this though thankfully vols 17 and 18 are good at keeping you invested enough that you hardly notice it at first
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AP24



Joined: 21 Apr 2011
Posts: 144
PostPosted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 9:09 am Reply with quote
Fertility arc is what Oomori calls Vol 12-18 together. SO11 takes place at the same time as main series Vol 12-14.
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GhostD



Joined: 07 May 2016
Posts: 998
PostPosted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 6:40 pm Reply with quote
AP24 wrote:
Fertility arc is what Oomori calls Vol 12-18 together. SO11 takes place at the same time as main series Vol 12-14.


I know. He said so in the author's notes but it feels weird including vols 12-15 as part of that seeing as they have little to nothing to do with Fertility which in this case alludes to spoiler[Freya]. If anything a lot of fans including myself prefer to refer vols 12-14 as the R/Lyu arc.
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