Here we are with the fifth season of Danmachi, the performance in the last season was particularly impressive, aligning perfectly with the anime's title as Bell and Ryu fought together to survive in the deep floors. And yet in season 5 another waifu gets involved with no one other than the “Rabbit Foot” himself—Bell Cranel, who is voiced by the well-known and respected "Harem King," Matsuoka Yoshitsugu Bell truly lived up to expectations, successfully adding another 'waifu' to his harem. This time, the long-foreshadowed characters—Syr, Freya, and Hörn, created an outburst. As we are going to review on Danmachi after finishing the series, let’s begin with an impression of Bell as the protagonist who leads the show.
To be frank, Bell is one of the main characters I am not particularly fond of, mainly because of his shyness and tendency to hesitate during moments of adversity. This is evident in certain situations, such as when everyone is under Freya’s enchantment. Instead of searching for clues or solutions, Bell falls into self-doubt and hesitation. At times, he even seems inclined to fully submit to Freya’s plan.
It’s worth noting that the members of the Freya Familia are overwhelmingly powerful, yet Bell, at Level 4, spends time wallowing in despair and self-doubt while being badly beaten. While his behaviour and the harsh treatment he endured during training were somewhat unbearable to watch, it’s important to remember that he is still a young and developing character at his adolescence.
Enough of the criticism. Bell, as a main character, undeniably has his own charisma. Despite his indecisive and naive personality as a teenager, which often makes him appear hypocritical (as Freya pointed out in their conversation in episode 9), he consistently demonstrates the courage to redeem himself and protect the people he cares about. After enduring the harsh treatment in the Freya Familia, he managed to stand tall and confront his opponent. Since then, the more courageous he became, the more satisfying it was to see him shout, 'Fire Bolt!' His straightforward and brave nature has saved others numerous times, helping him overcome obstacles and, most notably, picking up girls in the dungeon.
Moving on to the main event of season 5. Basically, everything happens because Freya confessed to Bell with Syr's appearance, and Bell obviously rejected her. Once the relationship among Syr, Freya, and Horn was revealed, I couldn’t really catch how it all worked until I started googling and getting the answer from all the great anime fans on the internet. I know they literally just show what it is in the anime; maybe I am just stupid. But personally, I think that one of the aspects that define a good anime is the series composition. We all know that the original source of DanMachi is a light novel. Unlike in words, which can elaborate the story in detail and comprehensively, it is challenging to adapt the story into anime with a limited length of only 15 episodes without the viewer pondering. While this might be the best product JC Staff could deliver for DanMachi, I just hope that they are putting some real investment into One Punch Man Season 3.
Well, don’t get me wrong; I am not hating on the outcome. Instead, the performance was rather satisfying. Danmachi season 5 does have its own strength. For example, it has consistently presented brilliant animations that elevate each battle in the show. Also, I believe most of us who like watching Danmachi were drawn by something "fascinating" about it, and the production team clearly got the selling point.
Besides that, the disclosure that Syr was actually a shared persona of Freya and Horn in disguise was genuinely shocking due to the stark contrast in their personalities. The episode where Syr confessed to Bell was brilliantly executed. However, it was both irritating and saddening to see Syr got rejected. To think that someone would reject a kawaii girl like this is kinda crazy. Despite Freya's use of her charm ability was too much, Bell perhaps deserved a taste of his own medicine for rejecting such a charming waifu. HAHAHA!
Alright, in terms of the plot, the question is, will Bell either end up being with somebody or a harem king as usual? As for who he will end up with, deep down, I really hope that girl will be Ryuu, like she was the one who has been fighting alongside Bell. Remember that awful survival in the deep floor of the dungeon in season 4? I mean, he really should pick the girl who has gone through thick and thin together, instead of picking Ais, who has yet to get any main screen time. Anyway, the author needs make it looks convincing if Bell will be ship with somebody in the end.
So far, I think Bell’s feelings towards Ais are more like admiration rather than affection. Ryuu is merely my DanMachi waifu. Just look at the episode where Ryuu fights with that dark elf; she is so kawaii on and off the battle. A fine lady who can be soft or tough. She’s got to be the one, isn’t she?
Up to this point, the animation of DanMachi season 5 was rather satisfying overall. Not to say that it’s the best because the few episodes towards the end, especially the War Game have seemed a bit rushed in my opinion. Maybe the adaptation could have been done better, but the conclusion of the anime was quite convincing. At the end, Bell decided to continue picking up, and we have Syr back as well, which is the reason DanMachi season deserves the credit. I genuinely hope the anime adaptation will carry on till the end, and we could have another sequel in a short while
