English Dub Review: Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? III “(Monster) A Single Wing”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

After discovering a strange talking monster in last week’s premiere, Bell and the rest of the Hestia Familia decide to embark on a mission to find out where Wiene comes from and why she exists.

Bell, Welf, and Liliruca head back to the nineteenth floor to try and uncover clues that will lead to more information about the talking monster. On the way, they meet up with an elf and another lady who fight over Bell and decide to come along. They wind up running into a strange fellow talking monster who gives them a mysterious warning. Will they be able to uncover the truth before it’s too late?

Our Take:

The second episode of Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon’s third season picks up right where you’d expect, with Bell and his cohorts continuing the search for more information about Wiene the talking dragon. The rest of the episode also unfolds about exactly as one might predict, with Bell learning a little more and then Wiene being put in danger.

Going back to the floor that Wiene was found on makes sense, but the way Bell eventually gets there is a little weird. Introducing two more companions feels pointless except to surround Bell with more adoring ladies, even though one of them does come in helpful later on. And then leaving poor Luci to deal with them just felt mean.

With all the secrecy surrounding Wiene and the trouble the team has already run into, it’s a little weird that Bell’s plan basically amounts to walking around the floor right out in the open. He’s no genius, but you’d think that a disguise or some sneaky sleuthing would be better. But there has to be conflict, and so the Ikelos’ Familia enters into the picture, trying to threaten Bell into giving them back Wiene.

The god angle is somewhat interesting, as Hermes confronts Ikelos about his group’s evildoing and he basically admits to it, saying that even if he was gone his Familia would still press ahead with their plots. What’s less interesting is how basic the episode gets once Wiene needs to be put in danger. Playing hide and seek with a secret talking dragon kid who you can’t lose sight of is pretty dumb. And of course, she runs into town and immediately transforms into a monstrous creature in front of everybody.

While this wasn’t a bad episode, per se, it certainly didn’t feature any surprises or clever writing. Everything unfolded about how every other show that does this kind of plot would handle things. Now that Wiene has revealed herself, the pressure will be on more than ever, and I hope Bell is ready for what’s to come in the weeks ahead. I also hope the show will be ready to be a little more entertaining.