Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? - Vol. 1

This is a fantastic story! If you have not already checked out the anime, stop what you are doing right now and go find it and watched it! Are you still here? Why aren't you watching it?! All joking aside this is a superb story. I got hooked on the anime and just bought the Kindle version light novel yesterday but it follows the anime almost verbatim. If you are looking for a phenomenal story packed full of humor, adventure, action and a whole lot of heart, I say again, check this out! For those of you that check it out, feel free to add your thoughts.

I reallylike the lightnovel and I enjoyed reading this manga. I thought this was the lightnovel, but I still enjoyed reading the manga version. Well probably buy the other releases when they are available.

I first started with the anime. I found the anime to be very good so decide to read the light novels that went with it. I must say I was not disappointed. The book allows a much deeper insight to characters and story then the anime did. It is interesting concept. It uses similar concepts that have been used before but with its on spin. It a nice twist of action, fantasy, and comedy. If you like the fantasy genre or you have seen and like the anime then it is a must read. Can't wait to read volume 2.

I like a good manga... something with a good story but not too overly serious. This one fits perfectly. The story is very well written, the characters have enough development that you can get to know everyone well enough, while keeping up a good enough pace to not be drawn out. This story is pretty light thus far, but first books are frequently fairly light to get through such introductions, so no complaints about that either. All in all, if you like a good fantasy manga read, and if you like harem stories, this one works out well.

The book delivered what I expected: a quick fun read with the occassional over-the-top behavior which works better in a cartoon/comic than an actual novel. Running around like a panicked headless chicken because you are ashamed and shy and rediculously blind to painfully obvious behavior can at times be a bit aggrivating. It are the side characters that made me give it four instead of three stars. The price/length ration might also not be to everybodies liking.

I saw this in my recommendations and found the description to be interesting. The story seemed funny and I was right! Not only is it funny, but it's full of adventure and excitement. This is definitely one of the best light novels I've read. The main character Bell is very interesting--he's so interesting that not only the reader, but almost every character in the story think so too, which will cause a lot of problems for him later on ^__^

Watched the anime of this series first and I have been devouring the manga as well. The artwork is fantastic, the story follows along with the anime with added extra scenes. If you loved the anime get the manga. If you are a fan of dungeon/fantasy manga, pick up the manga and then watch the show. They are both equally good. I would say that this is a must buy.

I honestly cant tell you why I like this as much as I do. Its a slice of life story about a guy fighting in a RPG style dungeon to get stronger in order to measure up to the girl who saved his life and he came to have feelings for. the explanation for how the "Exelia" or experience effects their "Falna" or status is interesting and bridges the gap between a video game and a "real life" scenario pretty well.
The only real complaint I have is with the translation of terms of address. Japanese honorifics don't really have an English equivalent and they tell you a lot about a particular characters personality and the relationship between two character's. I noticed that both sama and san where translated to mister or miss in this and that bothered me because the denote differing degrees of familiarity and respect.

You should probably watch the anime first. It covers the first 5 books. This only covers until Monsterphilia.
While not the best writing the book does explore more of the world and add extra details if you wish dive deeper.

If you did not watch the anime: It is not as dark as Overlord but this is a fun adventure few fanservice moments. There are 11 novels so far getting translated and an offshoot story series to from the perspective of Loki Familia members.

A great series creation. While the characters are coming from the parent series, this has its own story lines and character development. It touches base with the parent series at times for its own character development and story timing. But it easily stands on its own.

At first, I returned the light novel to the store, but after further investigation, I found I liked the manga and anime versions, so I repurchased the LN. According to the credits, SB Creative Corporation hired Tuttle-Mori Agency, Incorporated, to do the translation work.

For the most part, it's not that bad, but in far too many places, a native English-speaking editor or at least proofreader would've been helpful. Some sentences were so badly mangled, they were hard to get through without wincing. Incorrect grammar and punctuation could cause misunderstandings of the author's intention. Even so, I could see Fujino Oomori's writing underneath, and to be frank, his writing style isn't all that great -- this reads more like a second draft, not a polished work.

Even with all those limitations, the story is amusing and has a flare for poking fun at all the tropes we see in harem and MMORPG stories. The gods updating the status of their followers, or "children", made me laugh, because it's almost a prerequisite that characters in an RPG undergo some sort of upgrade so they can access stronger abilities.

Let's just say that if this book had been put through a more rigorous editing process, it would be vastly improved. Considering the rather high price tag for what is essentially teen fantasy fiction, I'd like to see writing on the level of J.K. Rowling, rather than equivalent to Rick Riordan.

Note: This is the light novel (novella), not the manga. Finally, someone who bothered to post the translation before the anime came out. This was a good translation job, considering that the material was a bit rough and indirect to begin with. There are other reviews that go into the plot, but this volume does not end on a cliffhanger. It does leave some characters open to future matters.

I LOVED this book I just loved it is has a great story a comedy romance with loads of adventures filled with surprises this has to be one of me favorite book and well anyway at the beginning there is some perverted pics but the story is nothing like that at all so if you're like me and not supposed to get perverted books then don't be afraid to get this book it rocks in a lot of different ways there is some questionable things in it though but some little that after you turn the page you forget about it anyway you should get this book it is literally the best book ever????

I really hope that this branch in the series improves because the Bell side is a great read. Unfortunately, while the overall story is good, the main character falls flat and it feels like she is just drug along from scene to scene as a place holder and a reference point to Bell rather than someone who has her own stories to tell.

Bought this as a Christmas present for my fiance, and he and I were both quite surprised to find he had acquired his first light novel- NOT a new manga. He hasn't picked it up just yet, but I've read a little.

I'm enjoying it so far, but I'm still a little disappointed this wasn't a manga. Wish that had been made a little more clear.. it's unlikely I would have purchased it had I known. I suppose that's my own fault for not researching it properly!

I really enjoyed this novel. I've only been into anime for a few years, got into manga a couple of months ago, and this is the first light novel I've bought/read. The read was really easy with just minor trouble when it came to deciphering who said what but it wasn't anything too confusing. The title made it seem like the protagonist was going to be a playboy type but there was actually more to the character and the plot that i found it really entertaining. I've already pre-ordered vol. 2 and 3. Overall this book has made me get into light novels as well.

The story is great. I love the idea. The writing is not enjoyable. The fast and lose, first person perspective, writing muddied the characters. You only really get to know the protagonist. After reading this I watched the animated version. I thought it was better. That's an odd thing to say, but the show is better than the book.

Fairly predictable plot lines and characters. I can guess where the story is going. It is different enough from the standard harem settings to keep me reading. The MC is younger than usual, so there is still room for development and growth. Let's see where book 2 lead. I like it enough to take the wait and see attitude.

*Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?* takes place in the city of Orario in a fictional world where gods and goddesses of myths are very much real, though perhaps slightly different from hoe we would recognize them in the actual myths. On top of this, many of the concepts common to RPGs is essentially an integral part of life for the economy, culture, so forth of the city.

As the story opens, our young hero, Bell Cranell, is fleeing for his life from a massive Minotaur. With only a few weeks on the job as an "adventurer", he is a tad behind where he ought to be so far. He certainly is not prepared to face a Minotaur (or anything else, for that matter) that is from a dungeon far lower than where he is adventuring currently.

However, Bell's whole life is about to change when he is saved by the beautiful, and perhaps one of the most talented adventurers alive, Aiz Wallenstein. Feeling overwhelmed and terrified, Bell flees without thanking her. Still this does lead to an interesting development, in that Bell is very much smitten with Aiz, and so dedicates himself to rising as fast as he can so he can be at her level, and thus be worthy of her.

Of course, none of this sits well with his goddess sponsor, and head of their tiny (at only the two of them) *familia*, Hestia. In this setting, a *familia* is a group run by a god or goddess. You see, many years ago in the story, the gods and goddesses grew bored and decided that they wished to come down and live among the "children" as they call the mortals. Be they human, demi-human, animal person, or other creatures, all of these mortals had lives that fascinated the deities. Hence they came down to the lower world and made a pact to not use a their powers other than to bless those who associate with them and form *familia* with them. True to the name, the *familia* are very much like informal families that stick together through thick and thin to serve their patron god or goddessgoddess and each other.

Anyways, Hestia has a huge crush on Bell. In fact, she might even be in love with him. Of course Bell is completely ignorant of this fact, and for good reason. It isn't stated whether this is true or not, but I get the feeling that the gods and humans being together is not common in this fictional world. Hence, the reason for Bell not knowing of Hestia's feelings for him.

Add to all of this, his incredible naivete and early weakness, and he doesn't seem to be the most promising prospect for an adventurer. But Bell has a secret ability, that only Hestia knows about. Even Bell doesn't know he has this talent. It's called the Realis Phase. Essentially, the more he determined he becomes to succeed, the stronger he'll get. And rapidly, for that matter.

So essentially, he has being the "Determinator" as an actual power. This is the charm of the story. Or at least, part of the charm. Bell is relatable, in a very real way. He's not an instant expert at anything. True he has a super power of rising unnaturally fast, but the story of hard work really is a good moral and presents a charactrer you can root for.

In fact, it seems his naïveté, niceness, hard work, so on, are seen as impressive in-story as well. His woobieness is something that makes others want to protect him.

Now, he isn't completely pure, though. As the title suggests, part of Bell's desire to become an adventurer patrolling Dungeons is to rescue beautiful girls and start a harem. I kid you not. It starts out like a cleaner version of *High School DxD*, and then rapidly switches direction.

The other impressive part of the tale was how the author took various RPG elements and made them into a workable and remarkably believable part of the fictional world. Anyone likes RPGs, or certain Japanese media dranchises like *Log Horizon*, *Sword Art Online*, so on, will really like this story.

The characters are funny and really draw you in as well. You find yourself cheering for Bell and Hestia, and hoping that Eina, Bell's half-elf advisor, and Aiz pay attention to him. Also, seeing how much Belle and Hestia sacrifice for each other is really cool.

One of the pics in the front gallery might make you think this isn't your type of story. But don't worry, it is more about one goddess being a bully and not about some weird story. Just a warning so folks don't get the wrong idea, and refrain from reading a good fun book.

I can't wait until volume 2 is released at the end of April so I can continue the adventures of *familia* Hestia.

Bell Cranel has big dreams of meeting and impressing the perfect girl while adventuring in his city’s monster filled dungeon. He’s off to a poor start when he becomes the damsel in distress and said dream girl rescues him. Further complications loom as the goddess he serves might just be jealous…

There are several interesting core concepts here, but the test of the story going forward will be whether they will all come together in a compelling way. I like Hestia herself, but the god hierarchy, rivalries and schemes (not to mention the several page argument/taunting about breast sizes) all feel run of the mill at this point and aren’t as intriguing as Bell’s end of the story. So at the moment certain elements are much more engaging than others.

Bell’s central desire to get stronger is incredibly cliche, but so far it’s being done well and has a nice twist with his growth potential possibly allowing him to get too strong, too soon.

The RPG trappings of the world are acknowledged in world as fact, which allows some fun perversions of said trappings without explicit fourth wall breaking. For example, character’s actually have experience gained and other stats and skills magically appear on their back to be totaled and tracked by their god, and it’s treated as a completely normal part of life. This approach is odd, but presented and handled in a fun way.

Decent start. I could definitely see myself reading more.

This light novel written by Fujino Omori has captured my thoughts. The story is very reminiscent of RPG games I have played. This light novel captures that feeling of how It would be living inside an RPG world. The illustrations are amazing and it captures the faces in a way that I could feel connected to them. Overall if you like/love RPGs and an amazing underdog story, then this novel is for you.

This series gets it right and directs its focus where it should be, on the main character: Aiz Wallenstein.

After watching the anime Spin-Off series, I was fearful this volume would be too focused on the annoying Lefiya character. Luckily for readers, this is not the case.

What. A. Wild. Concept.

Okay I'm done with the periods thing, but the concept of this book is really wild. Despite the seeming campy nature of the book and the fact that it seems to focus on girls and the picking of them up in a dungeon (though a great many of them are actually in town) the fact that this book has some real depth might come as a shock to you. ITWTPUGinD is a very long title, but the part of the dungeon is what I found to be the most compelling initial hook.

This book takes place in a fantasy world not unlike video games. There are levels, there are monsters, and shock, these things are daily facts of life that everyone knows about. No they're not in a game, they're just in a world where stuff like stats and levels are tangible real things and this book does it well. It is a real pleasure to read about the cool way the dungeons work and how the adventurers work. I can honestly say I've never seen a book try to tackle this before, but I truly hope others pick up on the concept and do try. It's neat and with so many games that do depict systems like that it would be neat to see more of this.

So beyond the stats and leveling, this book takes place in a pretty standard fantasy world. It is a light novel which typically means the themes are not too dark and indeed they are not. This is a harem book, which shouldn't be a big surprise considering the title. I didn't read much into that or watch the anime or look at the summary or anything before jumping in. I have only myself to blame because I am personally not into harems and so this isn't really my cup of tea, but if you like harems? Maybe it will be yours.

The main character is your typical clueless protag who doesn't realize the people around him for what they are or who they are. This is not an uncommon trope and there is a reason for it. The trope is fun! This is of course another matter of taste, but there is a reason why there are a million books, manga, anime that use this trope and pair it with a harem. This is another example of taste which comes down to a question you will have to ask yourself. Are you into that sort of thing? If so you might like this, a -lot- of people already have.

There are a lot of romantic leads and book one is going to focus primarily on just a couple. One is a warrior girl and it's kind of nice that despite being a harem book and certainly aimed at a male demographic that the female lead is able to be pretty capable on her own. I don't want to spoil who the other characters are in the book because I think that is part of the fun of discovery. Honestly if you've gotten this far in my review because the above two paragraphs don't bother you than you should probably just read the book.

The other thing that bugged me a bit was while the world did take into account some really neat concepts and the characters were fun, the world also felt empty. We don't really have any male friends for the characters, just girls and prospective haremettes at that. I should trademark that word. Anyway, I prefer to have a little more developed cast and maybe toss in a few more non-romantic pairing, platonic female friendships and some males too to be friends with. It's a small sticking point that might not be an issue for you.

So take my review at a grain of salt, it isn't meant to say this is a bad book, but rather the enjoyment of the book is going to be heavily tied to your own personal taste and preferences. Certainly the title should give you a pretty good clue of what you're getting into.

Note this is an updated review after having given the book a second look.

Having watched the anime beforehand I had high hopes for this series. I'm glad to say that I wasn't disappointed. The book has much more detail and insight into bell's character. Can't wait to continue the series and I'm glad I could support this author as well!

I was not going to read this despite recommendations, but finally bought it. It's fun enough that I read it through, then bought the second volume and read that through too, and was disappointed to find there is not a volume three yet.

I love the idea of following Aiz in her own unique adventures. After reading the main series you get a very nostalgic feeling when Aiz's story starts to overlap with the main story. Great read, highly recommend to any Danmachi fan.

I had to give this rating some thought. I wasn't sure if I should even post it but decided I would have appreciated a warning. The writing is good, the story is good, and there isn't anything "wrong" with the novel. I'm giving it a three star review because the current price ($7.99 USD) is too expensive the quantity of the book. The novels are too short and need to be combined into three novel omnibuses. Instead the story is cut up into too many pieces and when you get to the end, even though you enjoyed it you still feel that you paid too much. Think of the last movie you enjoyed at the theatre and imagine the ticket price was quadrupled. Feels like that.

Fun and Exciting fantasy about a boy who wants to be a genuine hero, even though life is harsh, and people are viscous he strives to keep true to his ambitions. Despite being afraid he continues to step forward, despite being beaten he once again stands up, this is a heroic tale about big dreams, and determination.

Let me preface by saying I watched the anime first. The book was good, but I expected more, usually an anime covers about sixty to seventy percent of what is in the book, in this case the anime covered about ninety percent of the book. I liked the book so I gave it four stars, but I was hoping for more.

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Nope. Not at all. This is a really cute story (this is the light novel, NOT the manga). It's certainly not at the level of storytelling that, say, The Lord of the Rings is at, but it's still an entertaining read, which is why I read stories like this - to be entertained. I don't try to figure out what the author is up to or what twists the plot may take; I find the read more enjoyable if I just let the story unfold.

Our protagonist, Bel Cranel, is an inexperienced dungeon explorer. He lives with his patron Goddess, Hestia (who has a serious love for Bel). While exploring the upper levels of the local dungeon, Bel's life is saved by Aiz Walenstein, a Loki follower. Aiz inspires Bel, and becomes his motivation to get stronger. Hestia, of course, is the jealous type and she not happy with Bel's focus on Aiz. The story unfolds from there with some minor twists, enemies, new friends, misadventures and a steep learning curve for Bel.

This a fun story and the manga adaptation is a good read too.

Really liked this book since I'm into the whole virtual reality genre. While this isn't a virtual reality, it is a world that is based on levels, races, inventory, crystal, experience, etc.. Just an overall good concept for readers of this genre even though it isn't exclusive to it. If you like light hearted, funny, and manga romance this book is right up your alley.

I've really enjoyed the book thus far, it's helped explain many things that the Anime has left out due to time constraints. I highly recommend reading it if you are, or plan to watch the animated version.

I watched the first episode of the anime and bought this book right after and finished it the next day. I love this light novel because it reminds me of both anime and video games which I greatly enjoy.

This I by far one of my favorite series and if you enjoyed the anime I would definitely read the books alot of anime follows close enough to not read the book but I feel like this one is not one of those it leaves out or change a lot of thing compared to the novels it is a must read in my opinion

Just to be clear, this isn't a manga, it's a light novel, although there is a manga version that will be coming out soon. If you google yenpress and go on their site, you can easily find the scheduled American release dates of both the light novel and the manga if you don't mind the brief search.
Anyway, it's a good read with its interesting use of RPG and mythological elements, like being able to visually see the main character's stats.
There is a harem element in case the title doesn't kind of allude to it, but it isn't glaring and forced in my opinion. In fact, his initially somewhat impure motive to meet girls serves more as a tool to kick off the story rather than what should define the story itself. The harem itself of random girls that show an interest in him actually don't have much to do with that initial motive. I feel that the title doesn't do the story justice. As this felt like an introductory volume, I would like to see the main character develop some more in later volumes. Can't wait for the upcoming second installment right around the corner.

It was interesting books of an adventurer and his surroundings with some nice graphics. He grows for a simple reason and fights for monsters.

A problem of this book for me is chats of some character, which is difficult to understand in my English skills because of its oral style.

I'm a huge fan of this series and I can't help but love it more, since I can own my very own copy in English! There were no problems whatsoever throughout the whole process of buying the book and un-packaging it. If you're on the fence about buying this book, think no more and get it now!

I'm finding it difficult to decide whether this LN deserves a two or three-star review. The plot and characters are exactly what I expected to receive when I purchased the LN; however, the novel is bogged down by a rather poor translation and even poorer editing. The novel is absolutely riddled with misspellings and improper punctuation (and this is coming from someone with poor punctuation skills himself). One might think that a novel should never be released with so many errors and that a publisher would prioritize editing before selling a product, but unfortunately it would seem this is not where Yen Press' priorities lie.

Ultimately I can deal with the poor editing, but what made it difficult for me to actually finish reading this LN was the writing style itself. When the author wrote from the perspective of Bell, the protagonist, the novel would read almost like a social media account. Paragraphs were bulging with content such as: Going to the dungeon now. Passing this and that. Wow look at that over there! *Time skip to inside dungeon* Kyaa! Gwuuuaaah! Geh? I'm fighting a goblin. Heee! Whoa the goblin just attacked me.

Obviously the above is not an identical quote from the book itself, but sadly it very well could be as I counted multiple times that phrases like "this and that" or "over there" were used. I noticed one reviewer compare this novel to a middle or high school writing, but I wouldn't be so generous when an example of a middle school book is the "Eragon" series or a high school level book is the "Glass Castle" or "To Kill a Mockingbird".

Light novels aren't perfect and oftentimes the writing IS poor, but at least with the Spice and Wolf or SAO Progressive series, it's tolerable.

I saw the first episode of the anime, and I decided to order the novel to see how it was (I read a lot of light novels). The print version wwas out of stock, so I ordered the kindle version. I finished it quickly. It was far better than I anticipated.

The book starts off with a kick and dry humor, which is different than most books. It was a fun story that I actually found out after the anime, and I have to say it was worth the purchase and nights lack of sleep to read it was highly enjoyable.

I was expecting a story about Bell, but I guess I purchased the wrong book. My bad.

As for this book, I had no issues with the writing or even the plot. However, the author gave us no reason to care about any of these characters.

The the store sisters were okay in a "oog, me the store" kind of way and one of the elves was kind of interesting at the very end. But, as far as Aiz, supposedly the main character. Wow. No personality whatsoever. Even her thoughts were boringly blah. There were hints of the old "hero with a dark past" garbage, but there wasn't enough there to make a whole lot of sense of much less care about.

I would like to emphasize that the writing was fine. The plot was fine. It's just the characters had nothing written about them that would make you care about them. If the main characters had all died at the end, it really would have been no great loss.

I'd watched the anime when it came out and Aiz was a waste of space there as well.

Easy to read, although a pure classic RPG style is an original story. The flow of the story as the narrative gets confused and mix at sometimes. The narrative is not cohesive at times, the author fails when switching from third person to first person.

The Dungeon - a mysterous place where monsters lurk on every floor and danger can sneak up on you. A place where people and beings from all over come in hopes to earn fame and riches. However for one young adventurer, Bell, he has only one dream - to find the most elusive of creatures - GIRLS. And he found the one of his dreams - however she is one of the most powerful warriors of the most powerful guilds, where he is the only child of a just formed guild. But he has a secret skill, one that if developed properly under the guidance of his goddess can make him a legend among legends, provided he does not get killed first. But unknown to him, the girl of his dreams is not the only one who has eyes on him and when heavenly minds notice something they will do anything to get what they want.

I enjoyed this start, from the building of his stats to the randomness of the dungeon it reminds me of the old school role playing games. Starting out as a low level newbie, you have to grind to level up gathering money and items to build up gear and items. It definately is a harem story with several women after the poor hapless Bell, and he is clueless about most of them as he has his eyes on one woman. I can not wait for the next book to see what comes next.

Sighs* honestly it didn't really meet any my expectations in terms of story telling because in the original fan translation the actions felt much better and the story had this very immature feel to it but in this one gave out a more refined and mature feel which can be a good thing but out for this story. Then again I am just being picky about it to so give it try if ya want. I'm not stopping you.

I really enjoy many of the ideas presented in this book, and the actually events and story are great, but the writing itself is quite bad. It reads like a script for a comic or anime, the timing is off in many scenes and the details are more like stage directions than a novel. There are many possible reasons but in the end it truly damaged my experience. I'll probably keep reading the series in the future but only because the concepts are truly interesting to contemplate

Note: The publisher has unfortunately given the same exact titles to both the light novels and the numerically corresponding manga volumes, not to mention the side novels, when they already had the same author and illustrator or at least character designer! Now, since the stories in all but the side novels are basically identical (except that Volume 1 of the manga only covers the Prologue and Chapters 1-5 of the novel, leaving Chapter 6 and the Epilogue to Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 2 (manga)), chances are that if you love one, you will love them all, with the novels giving you more details, the manga giving you more visuals, and the side novels giving you Aiz Wallenstein's POV. However, in order to purchase the version you actually want, you must be sitting on the correct product page.

For the novel click here: Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 1 (novel).
For the manga click here: Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 1 (manga).
For the side novel click here: Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? On the Side: Sword Oratoria, Vol. 1 (side novel).

Note: An animated TV series has also been produced in Japan and made available at various digital outlets in this country though not yet officially released on home video. Having seen it, I can assert that it is excellent also and tracks the light novels and manga very well, though of necessity it cuts out the most story. TV episodes 1-3 are the adaptation of this novel.

Dungeons & Dragons the Fantasy Roleplaying Game has inspired countless novels and stories (and a hilarious comedy sketch about some gamers with goals somewhat similar to Bell's on Take Down The Grand Master by The Dead Alewives), not to mention an entire industry of roleplaying games, but very few good novels and stories incorporating anything of the game system itself. In fact I'd venture to say that this series is the first success at it and a true joy to read for gamers and non-gamers alike, besides.

Just two weeks ago 14-year-old orphan Bell Cranell came to Orario, the Labyrinth City, in order to try his hand at being an adventurer in the huge, multilevel, monster spawning dungeon underneath the city. With his head full of his grandfather's tales, Bell is seeking fame, fortune,...

and girls, and two weeks in he has precious little to show for it. Then to add insult to injury, he ends up being rescued at the last minute like a damsel in distress from a monster he cannot even hit, much less destroy, by Aiz Wallenstein, the highest ranking female adventurer of them all...

and the most beautiful, whom he promptly falls in love with, screams like a girl at, and runs away from, leaving her more than a bit stunned. Bell rushes to ask his guild supervisor, whose job is to try and teach him enough so that he isn't immediately killed like most newbie adventurers, to tell him everything she knows about Aiz Wallenstein. What he hears crushes what pathetic little hope remained of winning her, and seeing this written as plain as day on his face, half-elf Eina Tulle takes pity on him and gives him some fateful advice:

"Girls like men who are strong and can be relied on. So if you work hard, get stronger, then maybe, possibly.... Maybe if you make a name for yourself, Ms. Wallenstein might notice you?"

What neither of them knows is that Bell has a rare and special skill, not yet revealed to him by the goddess of his one man familia:

Realis Phrase

Rapid Growth
Continued desire results in continued growth
Stronger desire results in stronger growth

Orario. Ain't. Seen. NOTHING. Yet.

The adventure continues in Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 2 (novel).

So I wanted to wait a bit to write this until after I read book 2, and having finished book 2 I can say without a doubt that this is a challenging read. In this book we lay the foundation to the series and build relationship's with the characters. Except you don't, this reads more like a non fiction book where we are just giving the facts and the not telling a story about why the character cares about what they are fighting for.

I felt no attachment as we learn about Bell growing into a better adventurer. While we do get to see the main character improve and grow, its not done as a journey but as a check list of this, this and this.

Now if you are reading this because of the anime, you are in luck, it is faithful, to a fault. I can't say that I learned anything new or got any new back story. It was if someone wrote down what happened in the anime as if writing a screenplay. This would be a rare case where I would tell you not to read the book, but watch the show.

I was actually surprised I thought it was the manga adaptation but discovered when I opened it was the light novel version, dont get me wrong I was more than happy to read the light novel but I was under impression it was the manga because they didn't specify that it was the light novel or manga, I actually enjoyed the light novel version better than the manga scans I have seen, but the reason I gave 4 out of 5 was because they didnt specify it was the light novel or manga in which they should say its either manga or light novel version because if I was a person who didnt read light novels I would be annoyed but since I love light novels I have no issue with it.

So it seems the store is confusing two different versions of “Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?” (usually abbreviated “Dan-machi” in Japanese) Like “Haruhi,” the popular series started as a light novel, followed by a manga version. If you are looking for the light novel version, enter the following ISBN numbers.

Light novel: 9780316339155
(Manga: 9780316302173)

Anyway, the following review refers to the MANGA version of “Dan-machi.”

The hero of the comic is a 14-year-old boy Bell Cranel living in the fictional world of Orario. Though only a (weakest) Level 1 fighter, Bell keeps fighting monsters in the “dungeon” in order to be worthy of his love at first sight, a beautiful and strong swordswoman Aiz Wallenstein, who once saved his life.

In a way “Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon” is like a monster-hunting game without the game player. The comic follows the story of our aspiring fighter and the goddess Hestia who gives blessing to the boy. In fact, the comic is most interesting when the spirited goddess Hestia is in, to whom Bell is in service.

The comic takes too much time in introducing the reader to the fantasy world and its rules, and characters are probably a few too many, but the read is still fun with fine artwork and two interesting characters Bell and Hestia.

I was only interested in buying the light novel, NOT this manga version, but the store has "helpfully" redirected me to the Kindle manga version. Imagine my disappointment when I saw that this was for the manga version and not the light novel. WHERE THE HECK IS THE LIGHT NOVEL?

Imagine if you could actually go into a dungeon and fight monsters and get money and items and it turns out it's your 9-5 job. That sounds like a cool idea for a manga to me! Well our main character Bell does just that! He wants to get stronger so he pushes himself harder and harder to fight more and more and tougher an tougher monsters.

The main downsides of this manga are that it is a harem manga, and it seems to do some light fan service. All in all it's enjoyable and I'll be picking up volume 2 very soon. Check it out!

LIGHT NOVEL!! I THOUGHT THIS WAS MANGA!!! Honestly it is a good story but I was confused by the appearance of this and didn't know what I was getting into not that there is anything wrong with light novels but personally I do prefer manga. I still have to rate this fairly so to anyone reading this it is a light novel but it is a good one and I honestly would recommend this to LIGHT NOVEL READERS ONLY! ! Lol

The book is surprisingly not as good as the adaptations, which was really disappointing. I was looking forward to reading this series, but now I am not so sure it is worth the slow pacing and the constant mistakes the main character makes.

The first volume was a fairly good introduction to the world but it was far from captivating. Hopefully the pacing will pick up in subsequent volumes.

i picked this up somewhat on a whim, although i didn't realize at the time that it was a light novel and not a manga. being a fan of RPGs it's great to see the book bring familiar tropes to life, but still inject them with its own unique elements. (watching the hero's stats level up is as satisfying as actually playing an RPG yourself.) the use of classic mythology is fun, and the harem elements are light hearted and not offensive. read it all in one sitting, and now just have to wait impatiently for the next release.

I'm really very happy to see that light novels have finally begun to gain somewhat of a foothold in the English markets. Initially the only works that North America received were the ones that were already extremely well known and received in the United States like the Haruhi series (also released by Yen Press), but it's nice to see something new.

This is a pretty cute series overall and one that I have to admit is fairly cleverly done. DanMachi (as it's known overseas) is pretty much a story about an RPG experience (leveling up, slaying monsters, drop items) without it actually being a group of kids playing a game online, which is the normal way that stories like this tend to unfold. The mechanism for everything is fairly well thought out- you can only level up if you are part of a goddess's house and even then it's difficult to get into said houses. Our main character of Bell is kind of a loser when it comes to adventuring, as he isn't particularly strong and has shown himself to be somewhat unwilling to do some of the things to improve his other stats (reading to raise his intelligence, for example). If you've ever read a manga, light novel, or an anime of any type, you can guess that obviously, Bell does begin to grow stronger for seemingly no reason at all, but the author has given us a fairly good reason for this. (Which I'm not going to divulge because spoilers.)

As this type of light novel was aimed at teenagers, this book doesn't really have anything truly objectionable in it. There are some slightly perverted actions here and there (one girl groping another girl's top half) but it's done for laughs and not for titillation. So far this doesn't seem to be that sort of book, and even though I know that there will be some more mention of things like that, it won't really have anything that parents need to be overly cautious about. It's a pretty good read for teenagers, adults, or mature younger readers (as there is some slightly graphic description of monster fighting).

I whole heartedly recommend this work.

My Friend recommeded this book and i dont regret buying it and reading it. The story is based on mythology and a kid named bell and godess named Hestia. It follow their stories and there adventure. It a good book to read and relax and let the world of Orario work it magic. I would recommed this book.

I bought it because everyone mentioned it on the net but I really have to say that I enjoyed it 110%. This writing style is easy to read (I read this book in one session on the airplane). Highly recommended ^^

Loved the translation. Most translated books miss something going from one language to another. I think because they kept this book really general most everyone could relate and understand the story. I can't wait to get the second book. It's a quick read. Light hearted and fast paced. Not too much wasted words. Definite good buy.

You should give this book a try. I was once a manga lover who only read manga and not the light novels. To be honest I found the fan translation of this book and guess what? I love it!! Light novel contain deeper information and also I have longed for a book which contain the protangist showing progress while growing since nowadays I only find over powered protagonists right at the start. The title of this book is merely a cover of about 10% of the book and the rest was 70% action and 20% comedy. And prents please don't worry buying this book for your kids cause it is not sexually offensive in any way at all.

I feel like this first book is a little shaky (I'm halfway through it while writing this) and that it's trying to find its footing by explaining things to us and introducing its cast while trying to make it seem entertaining, but the way it explains things are a little awkward and the power-up system feels a little too much like it was pulled out of an mmo. The title was a little off putting and cheesy and while titles are a decent indicator of how a book wants to be presented, I feel like it doesn't give the book exactly the right image it deserves.

The story is mainly about the main character, Bell Cranel, trying to get strong enough to be able to win the heart of Aiz Wallenstein, one of the most recognized adventurers that happens to save him from a monster. While it definitely is a wish fulfillment type of story(boy who is a nobody wants to get stronger and get the hot girl), it's also a somewhat enjoyable one as we see how he grows. The setting where the story takes place is interesting enough. It has potential to become really detailed and developed, but this is just the first book.

The writing is very casual and usually from first person point of view, so we get to see Bell's thoughts on things unless he isn't in the scene. It also reads kind of awkwardly at times and I'm not sure if it's the translation or the actual original writing but I'm assuming it's a mix of the two. It also has some cliches from anime/manga and light novels (and in general), like girls comparing their breast sizes, having the girl press her breasts against the main character while asleep, or a girl being teased about how she might have feelings for the main character. That, combined with how in the story Bell's grandfather tells him that "real men try to make a harem" make me believe that he will probably end up with a harem of his own. It also bugs me a little how the girl on the cover, Hestia, is described as physically looking like a "young girl about to hit puberty", but is occasionally described in a way that sexualizes her which kind of feels creepy.

So far, it looks like only Bell is going to get any real/most of the character development. This isn't particularly bad since it's his story and about him, but some of the side characters just look like they're there to make him look better and won't have much character outside of their relationship with him. Again, this is the first novel and I could be wrong, but I'm just going off of my experience with other anime based off of light novels and other actual light novels that give a similar vibe.

If you want to kill time and read an action/adventure novel with a decent enough main character, go ahead and read it. It isn't particularly amazing and you could just wait for the anime adaption to come out, but I'm expecting future novels to be more entertaining as this was just the introduction to its world.

I have read the fan-translated volume of this novel before, and I enjoyed. I thought about buying the English official translation to see what it'd be like, so i read all of the reviews concerning this version. I dowloaded the sample and compared it to the fan-translation.
It was somewhat dissappointing. I very much prefer the fan-one, since the official one gave me quite an awkward feeling in the translation. also, The official one used present-tense for naration in the sample compared to fan's past tense (not sure which is correct since i've never read the original japanese version). Frankly, i felt a bit irritated.

Storywise, I'd recommend it, IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE FAN TRANSLATION.

Then again, I only read the Prolouge (which is in the sample); i may get better with translation in the later chapter, so dont take my opiniontoo seriously.

Once I picked it up I did not want to put it down. It has several funny moments, it does good with action, characters are likeable, the gods are named after the norse and greek gods.

It reads kind of like its a dungeons and dragons scenerio, except it is its own rpg. Its definitely one of my more favorite books to read.

I enjoyed this yet it was not made clear how short it was....I am very unhappy about a $9.00 cost to buy a few short chapters of a story. This price is way too high for what you get, it took like 15 minutes to read it. That's why it only gets one star. I can't say I'd buy anymore at that price. these volumes have a long way to go before even getting close to being a complete story. I think it's worth about one dollar at most.