REVIEW: ‘Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon?’ Season 5 Episode 1 — “Syr”

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon Season 5 Episode 1 (Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka) from J.C.Staff comes fresh off the conclusion of one of the best seasons the anime has seen. The first episode starts things off slowly but entertainingly, presenting a new plotline and some interesting revelations.

The first episode opens with Syr, Bell’s friend and employee at a local tavern. However, the first scene shows her wearing a white dress while weeping in a field of flowers. We get a short glimpse of her inner thoughts, and it reveals that she has developed deep feelings for Bell and that she is actually a goddess disguised as a regular mortal in Orario. She hopes to find out if her feelings for him are true love and whether said love will free her from “the shackles of goddesshood.”

This revelation is quite significant, as Syr has been a longtime recurring character in the series but has always been a side character. However, it now seems that her minor but frequent interactions with Bell have built up to something, and her role was always meant to be larger.

After the opening, Bell and the Hestia Familia celebrate two members, Haruhime and Lilia, leveling up. They also very briefly recap the previous season’s events and how Bell and his friends, with the help of several Familias, came together and escaped the dungeon’s depths while defeating several foreboding monsters and enemies in the process. This scene is noticeably lacking in exposition and only references these events quickly in passing. Some viewers who need a recap may be disappointed, but it’s hard to refute that it makes the episode more engaging thanks to better pacing.

The celebration extends to the tavern where Syr works as a waitress alongside Ryu. They spent the majority of the last season struggling to survive the dangers of the dungeon together. While celebrating with his friends, Lili and Daphne inform Bell about the upcoming Goddesses Festival, which will celebrate the year’s successful harvest. We also learn that during the festival, the four main Goddesses representing fertility will be enshrined on several pillars in the town square.

During the conversation, Bell spots Ryu but she avoids interacting with him. Syr appears and explains to him that she has been intentionally avoiding him following the events of last season. Unsurprisingly, Bell is shocked to learn this but then recalls some embarrassingly intimate moments between them that occurred in the previous season. Bell decides to confront Ryu, but in a moment of embarrassment, she accidentally gets violent with him. She quickly apologizes and tells him it’s not his fault and her actions toward him have nothing to do with him. The scene ends with the two conversing while Syr watches them in dismay.

In the next scene, Syr confronts Ryu about her budding feelings for Bell. She acknowledges them but tells her she will ignore them and ask Bell out on a date to the festival regardless, reiterating the feelings she’s had for him for a long time. Ryu agrees and states she has no intention of getting in the way of Syr’s love.

These scenes prove that Syr and Ryu are incredibly infatuated with Bell, joining the many other characters in the anime who feel the same way. It also introduces a new love triangle dynamic between the characters and proves Syr’s statements at the start of the episode to be true. However, nothing in the episode reveals why Syr is so in love with Bell other than their many interactions together. On the other hand, Ryu was saved by Bell last season and spent some intimate moments together, so it isn’t a surprise that she starts having feelings for him.

Following this, a mysterious woman shows up at the Hestia household and gives Bell a letter while being antagonistic toward him. It is revealed that the woman is named Horn and is part of the Freya Familia. The letter turns out to be a date invitation from Syr, revealing she has some connection to Freya. Every woman in the Familia but Mikoto is upset at this, proving yet again that, despite Bell’s meek and basic personality, his kindness has a mysterious effect on the ladies.

News travels fast in Orario, and the rest of the Freya Familia catch wind of this and decide to do something about it. However, they aren’t able to harm Bell for fear of Freya’s wrath. Instead, they send out Hedin Selland, one of Familia’s strongest fighters. He attacks Bell, and a short fight plays out. Unfortunately, Bell is quickly overwhelmed, and the episode ends with him seemingly being captured. A post-credit scene also reveals that Syr spoke directly to Freya, asking for permission to take Bell on a date. Freya agrees, as long as Bell does not find out she is a Goddess.

While far from the explosive start seen in previous seasons, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon  Season 5 Episode 1 does a great job of engaging viewers from start to finish. The season gives Bell yet another issue to deal with and new revelations that expand the overarching narrative.

Production-wise, season five’s animation has so far not dropped in quality. J.C. Staff does an excellent job animating the motions, expressions, and fantastical visual effects, chiefly seen in the episode’s short combat scene. Other parts of the production such as sound design and voice acting is still as great as ever thanks to Warner Bros. Japan.

Overall, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon Season 5 Episode 1 is a fantastic premiere. While lacking in some necessary recap exposition, it still hooks viewers and excites them for what’s to come.

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Season 5 Episode 1 is out now on HI DIVE.