Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 6 - light novel (Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? (light novel), 6) (Volume 6)

For clarity's sake, this review is for the LIGHT NOVEL of "Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?" volume 6After the end of volume 5 (and the anime, for that matter), I was worried about the direction this story was heading. Bell had just taken down a special super boss (despite being heavily wounded and exhausted), and while he hardly did it alone, the fact that he pulled it off kind of put me on edge. The reason being that I was afraid Bell was going heading into Naruto territory--that is to say, becoming so powerful so quickly that the story was quickly going to become unbelievable and boring.After reading this book, I am happy to say that my fears have been laid to rest. Reader, ye be warned. Spoilers are in this review. I will mark them, but they are there.And for those of you wondering, yes, this book picks up where the anime left off.Our story starts with Lilly talking to Soma, her God, asking to be released from the Familia. Soma, being the ever useless God that he is (or is he?), pretty much ignores her and leaves the decision up to his primary follower, Zanis. And in case you couldn't tell--because everyone else in Soma Familia has been a jerk up to this point--Zanis says that Lilly can leave...for the price of ten million vals. Good luck, Lilly.The story then cuts to Bell, Welf, and Lilly celebrating their victory on the 18th level and a few points are addressed.1) Bell didn't receive enough exp. to hit level three, something I am extremely thankful for. This is because, despite getting the killing blow, it was actually Lyu and Asfi who fought the Goliath the longest, so they get the lion's share.2) Welf, however, DID level up. He is now level two.3) Bell's fame has grown even more, and this is where the main conflict of the story comes in.A few other adventures sitting near Bell's party start talking smack about Bell. At first, this just seems like the normal trash talking Bell has had to endure from people who don't believe he's as good as the stories say. Bell fails to respond, so then the adventures start bad mouthing Welf and Lilly, but still things remain calm. So the adventures go for Bell's one sore spot: They insult Hestia. Bell loses it at this, but Welf delivers the opening blow. A brawl breaks out, and Bell notes how much slower these adventures are than him.And then he promptly gets his nose smashed in by a level three adventurer by the name of Hibachitei, a member of the God Apollo's Familia. And it is made clear that, despite how powerful Bell seemed to be at the end of the last book, there are still plenty of things that can beat the snot out of him--much to my relief, if I'm honest.The following day, Bell is confronted by two more of Apollo's followers, Daphne and Cassandra.They offer him an invite to Apollo's party, and Hestia tells him that they have to accept. She suspects some sort of trap--making her loathing of Apollo known to Bell, but not explaining why--but she feels that they must go in order to apologize for the fight that Bell "started" the other night.What follows is a nice party with a lot of backstory revealed. Hermes gives Bell the story of Zeus and Hera, and how they used to be the most powerful Familias until they failed to complete the last of Three Great Quests. The final Quest that they failed? Slaying a dragon (because of COURSE it's a dragon). This is probably a glimpse of what will be Bell and his Familia's final test--slaying the dragon that even his Grandfather's (Father's?) Familia couldn't take down.We also get a scene of Bell dancing with Aiz, and it's very sweet because Aiz is just as flustered as Bell about the whole thing, but her Sword Princess mask breaks and we get a glimpse of the cute girl she is in private--and then Loki and Hestia lose it and break the dance up.Finally, Apollo enters the scene and he demands compensation from Hestia for the fight Bell started with his followers. Hephaestus steps in, pointing out the Welf actually started the fight, but Apollo brushes it aside. When Hestia refuses to apologize for Bell's action, Apollo makes a demand:A War Game with Hestia's Familia.Hestia refuses the War Game and storms out of the ball, and it suddenly becomes clear that Apollo has been planning this from the very start. His goal is to take Bell away from Hestia because he collects people he finds attractive--and Bell has fast become the talk of the Gods.What follows is a break-neck pace in the story. Bell and Hestia are attacked the very next day, with Apollo sending pretty much his entire Familia after Bell. It's only thanks to the help from Bell's friends--Lord Take's Familia and Lord Micah's Familia--that he is able to stay one step ahead of the enemy Familia. Hestia, realizing that they are in a completely hopeless situation, decides to accept the War Game and tells Bell that he has one week to get stronger while she stalls for time.SPOILERS FOLLOW!!!!!!During the flight from Apollo's Familia, Lilly is forced to return to Soma's Familia because Soma's Familia is helping Apollo's. This is where the story diverges into two separate paths--one involving Bell training with Aiz and Tiona to get stronger, and one about Hestia, Welf, Nahza, and Mikoto rescuing Lilly.During the rescue, it's revealed that Soma isn't a total jerk--he's just utterly disappointed in his Familia. The reason he gives them wine is to reward them for doing such a good job, but he lost faith in them when he saw how easily they lost their minds from it. But when Lilly shows that she can resist the wine in order to help save Bell, he's stunned and agrees to let her leave his Familia and join Hestia's.Welf and Mikoto also leave their Familias and join Hestia's, thus increasing her total members to four. And, thanks to a little begging from Hermes, a certain character from the last novel is also talked into joining the fight on Bell's side (but not his Familia, because that would make the Familia too powerful too early in the story. Don't worry though, I'm sure she'll join up eventually).But can five adventures really manage to win a War Game against one hundred enemies?The answer is yes. I mean, did you really think Bell was going to be taken away from Hestia?But the fun part is reading HOW Bell's ragtag team manages to claim victory. The tactics, the ploys, the tricks. Everything that they pull out is amazing--and the best part is, none of it is a surprise to the reader. No one suddenly has some new secret move that they've been saving, or some hidden power. Everyone uses skills that the reader has long been aware of, which makes it so much fun because you are left going, "Of course! Brilliant!"SPOILERS END!!!!Some Notes:It's revealed that Loki and Freya are the ones that kicked Zeus and Hera out of the city. My guess: this is how Loki is going to be dealt with. There is no way she's giving Aiz up, but if Bell defeats her at some point further down the line because of what she did, or Loki comes after Bell once she finds out who he's related to and he's forced to take her down...With the mention of Ares, the God of War, from several books ago, combined with the final Quest to slay the dragon, I think we now have two long-term stories to look forward to.Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Lyu's Goddess is ever mentioned by name previously. She is here: Astria.Hestia makes a not-at-shocking-to-us declaration to Bell, and Bell completely misses the point, much to her annoyance.I want to know what happens to Cassandra and Daphne. I will be surprised if they do not show up again later.I've long suspected that there's something up with Syr. This book only makes me think that even more. There's something about this girl that she is hiding from everyone else. I'm sure of it.There is a touching scene at the end between Soma and Lilly. Probably the most touching scene in the story so far--yes, even better than when Lilly breaks down and demands to know why Bell saved her from the ants.For some reason that baffles me, the artwork ceases to exist about halfway through the book. This is a true shame, because some of the fights really deserve to be shown. Can't WAIT for the manga of this story.Much to my personal happiness, the vast majority of this book is NOT written in first-person narrative. I just don't like it when a story is written in that style, but if there are those of you who do, you have been warned.Omori-san has an odd habit of writing dialogue, and then in the very next paragraph, telling the reader what was just said. It's...kind of annoying, honestly. Not enough to take off a star, but it does make me wonder if this is a Japanese thing.Botttom Line: A lot of reviews have said that this is the best story so far. And I must say that I agree. Once the dance ends, the story picks up and sprints for the finish line--with still over half the book to go. The pacing is excellent, the action is solid, new characters are revealed, old characters are given much more depth, and most importantly, Bell is not shown to be stupidly overpowered like I feared.And all of this happens without the characters setting foot in the dungeon once. If you wanted to know what happens next to Bell and his companions after the anime, then this book is a must read for you. For regular fans? Come on, is there any doubt? Pick it up.

Note: The publisher has unfortunately given the same exact titles to both the light novels and the numerically corresponding manga volumes, when they already had the same author and illustrator! Now, since the stories in both are basically identical (except that Volume 6 of the manga only covers from the second part of Chapter 3 of the third novel through first part of Chapter 1 of the fourth novel), chances are that if you love one you will also love the other, with the novels giving you more details and the manga giving you more visuals. 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. 6 (novel) .For the manga click here:  Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 6 (manga) .Note: Another reason for purchasing both is that some manga volumes include text pieces apparently cut from the novels. For example Vol. 6 (manga) includes a Special Episode "A Novice Teacher" apparently cut from Chapter 4 of Vol. 3 (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.The story continues from  Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 5 (novel) .The big reveal at the end of the previous novel (and the animated TV series) is that Bell is Zeus' grandson though he doesn't know it, in fact nobody but Hermes (and Zeus) appear to know it, but it obviously has huge implications. Moreover, thanks to Hermes, both Bell (and readers) get their first glimpse into the downfall and exile of Zeus (and Hera), and at whose hands (Loki's and Freya's primarily), which leaves a lot of things on a slow boil for the future.In the meantime the bisexual bully Apollo has decided to act. In order to force Bell to join his familia he challenges Hestia to a wargame, and despite having all the advantages of wealth, numbers, and a higher level leader, Hyacinthus, Apollo proceeds to cheat like mad, destroying Hestia's and Bell's home and forcing them to agree to play (fight) a war game. So it is with his all hope gone that Bell learns who his friends are.Goddess Hestia schemes like her back is to the wall (it is), the gods Miach, Takemikazuchi, and Hephaistos, each find a way to contribute a member, and Hermes finds a fourth (and you probably know who they are). Unable to join directly as Miach's only member Nahza provides pinpoint arrow fire wherever she can, and banned by Loki's neutrality, Aiz and Tiona combine to secretly give Bell the week long training session to top all training sessions. Syr contributes a mysterious good-luck charm. Welf madly dashes to forge weapons he would not forge, and on the day of battle does things he should not have to do. Lyu wields weapons she would not wield. Mikoto endures wielding a weapon that targets her first, but it is little Lilly who shoulders the heaviest burden. Taken out of the fight before it even starts by yet another dirty Apollo trick she will endure imprisonment, torture, beatings, and face down insanity before even beginning to contribute the key actions to victory, and even then she will ask if she was useful....The adventure continues in  Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 7 (novel) .

You would think after beating a Goliath, Bell and company would have time to rest and recover. However another god has his eyes on Bell and wants to make him his. The Apollo Familia declares a God War against Hestia, and when she refuses he goes through great lengths to get her to agree. Normally you would think that Bell would be greatly outmatched, but with a week to prepare and some help from his friends and his crush Aiz (with whom he is dancing with on the cover), he might pull off the upset of the age?This was a great story, it shows the other side of the Heroes City with all its darkness and light. Seeing that not all of Ostario is the Dungeon, but the city has its own dangers and perils just as lethal as any Goliath or MInotaur for mortal or god (Hermes get clobbered by Loki and Hestia for the circumstances of Bell dancing with Aiz). If you enjoyed the series, this is a must for you to read.

This story was very intense. There was action around every corner. This is the first book the really takes place outside the dungeon. I personally like it. I hope it is a sign of what is to come because it means a expanded view of the world. I want to see how far Bell can go. The family is finally growing in more ways then one. While I cannot wait for the next one I have to.

I am enamored with the plot and characters, really loving it. The depictions of dialogue and action read quite a bit like a fan-fiction though. Not sure if that is due to translation, an attribute of the light-novel genre (it is my first time reading one), or what. Descriptions and inner monologue do not suffer from the same issue, however. If I could rate aspects individually, I'd give the plot and characterization 5's, and dialogue and action writing maybe 3's. That's why I settled on giving the book a 4 overall.

Watched the show of this and this is the first book after the show ends. I am very exited to see the next book and couldn't wait for series 2. This book did not disappoint.

For fans of the anime, this is where the story picks up in the novels after where the show finishes. It gets pretty heavy on the world building, and there's so many characters at this point it can be hard to keep tabs on them all. I'd probably recommend something like The Asterisk War or Re Zero over this in terms of writing quality.

I liked this book in the series, you see more interaction with The Kenki and The Little Rookie (Aiz and Bell) in this series. She gives him her first dance much to the jealousy of Hestia! How will this play out?

I picked this series up 3 days ago and haven't put it down since. As I don't want to ruin any of the plot I shall only say it is worth reading for a little of the adventure we all crave in day to day life.

I loved the animation of this novel so I decided to read it, I prefer the novel to the anime. Great reading.