Leading up to the release of new feature film Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?: Arrow of the Orion, I decided to go back and re-watch the previous two TV anime: the original Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? and Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?: Sword Oratoria. But this time, I decided to try something a bit different: watch them in chronological order.
The original Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? is a 13 episode series (with one additional OVA episode) set in a world where gods make partnerships or “familias” with humans–giving said humans the power needed to venture into the mysterious, monster-filled dungeon beneath the city of Orario. It follows newbie adventurer Bell Cranel, the only human paired with low-tier goddess Hestia, as he ventures into the dungeon in the hopes of finding adventure–and a girlfriend. But while his grandfather told him he’d certainly get the chance to rescue a damsel in distress and win her heart, the exact opposite happens when he is rescued from certain death by Ais Wallenstein, the legendary Sword Princess. From there he is driven to grow stronger so that he can one day be a man worthy of her.
Image source: warnerbrosanime on YouTube
Rather than a sequel, the second anime, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?: Sword Oratoria, is a 12 episode “sidequel” to the original. Taking place over the same basic time period as the first anime, Sword Oratoria shows what is happening through Ais’ viewpoint instead of Bell’s–though not Ais’ exclusively. The other main character in Sword Oratoria is Lefiya, a young elf girl in the same familia as Ais, who attempts to befriend Ais even as she battles against her own case of hero worship for the Sword Princess.
Image source: warnerbrosanime on YouTube
But while both series happen at the same time–and many of the same events happen in both–they are far from identical. And the best way to see all the differences? Watch both series not in broadcast order but rather in chronological order.
Now, by this, I don’t mean to imply I re-cut and re-edited both series into one or anything so extreme. Rather, I simply alternated back and forth between the series in the following, roughly chronological, order.
Sword Oratoria 1
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? 1
Sword Oratoria 2
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? 2
Sword Oratoria 3
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? 3
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? 4
Sword Oratoria 4
Sword Oratoria 5
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? 5
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? 6
Sword Oratoria 6
Sword Oratoria 7
Sword Oratoria 8
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? 7
Sword Oratoria 9
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? 8
Sword Oratoria 10
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? 9
Sword Oratoria 11
Sword Oratoria 12
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? 10
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? 11
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? 12
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? 13
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? OVA
Image source: warnerbrosanime on YouTube
To be clear, this is in no way perfect as the pair of anime are not designed to be watched this way. The resulting pacing is terrible: sometimes several episodes of one series happen in the middle of a single episode of the other. Other times, we switch series on a cliffhanger, recklessly diffusing the tension by focusing on events that are completely unrelated.
And while this is a chronological order, due to how the two series jump through time, it is not the only possible chronological order. However, the strong point of this particular one is that it (mostly) keeps the emotional impact of the various scenes by not undercutting itself–e.g., we see Bell’s fight with the Minotaur before we see it from Ais’ point of view since it is a pivotal moment for Bell more than anyone else.
Image source: warnerbrosanime on YouTube
In watching chronologically, the story takes a different shape. There are now three main characters, each who have different viewpoints. Bell is at the bottom of the adventurer hierarchy. He is a newbie attached to a no name god who basically has no idea what he’s getting into. Ais, on the other hand, is at the top of it all–though that’s not to say she lacks in her own troubles. While Bell’s are much more basic–i.e., making enough money for food–Ais’ are as complex as they are personal. Then, rounding out the trio we have Lefiya who is a newbie not to adventuring but to the top tier of adventuring that is basically old hat for Ais. With the three of them, we get a nice cross section of what life is like for the standard (and not so standard) adventurer.
Moreover, it’s revealed that the world and recent events are far more complex than we see when confined to just Bell’s POV. While Bell’s story so far is of a more personal nature, Ais’ story paints a much bigger picture of the dungeon and the odd things happening within.
Image source: warnerbrosanime on YouTube
This wider view applies to characters as well. While in the original anime the goddess Loki seems enigmatic at best, seeing her actions across both series together makes her seem downright noble.
But the biggest plus of this watch order is that we get to see the same scenes from different points of view within minutes of each other. This allows us to directly contrast the two scenes while they are still fresh in our minds–intensifying the impact. Scenes, especially those with a romantic undertone when seen through Bell’s eyes, can be quite different through Ais’ eyes. Because, as we learn, while Bell is interested in Ais for romantic reasons, Ais is interested in Bell because of the astounding speed of his improvement. Then, from Lefiya, we can get a complete outsiders view of the whole situation.
Image source: warnerbrosanime on YouTube
In the end, I would not recommend watching these series in chronological order on your first time through. The sad fact is they are just not built to be watched this way. So unless you already have a firm grasp on the events going in, it’s easy to get confused. However, if you’ve seen either or both series before–and are looking to get a refresher before the film and new season come out in the West this year, I can’t recommend re-watching them this way enough.
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? can be seen in English on Crunchyroll.
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?: Sword Oratoria can be seen in English on Amazon Prime Video and AnimeLab (AU/NZ).
Top Image Source: warnerbrosanime on YouTube
Be First to Comment