DanMachi, orIs It Wrong to attempt to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?is a popular fantasy anime that has spawned a couple of seasons. Based on a light novel by Fujino Omori, the story envisions a world where adventurers pledge allegiance to gods, forming guilds dedicated to the deities. Hestia is one such goddess, but she is rather low in the pecking order due to the fact she only has one follower: Bell Cranel. While pure-hearted and assertive, Bell is also relatively weak, but he is willing to put himself on the line as he explores the eponymous dungeon. Along the way, Hestia’s guild starts to grow.
Although never producing anything close to bad,DanMachican be polarizing since some of its arcs move away from the base premise: exploring a seemingly endless dungeon. However, season 4 marked a return to this original blueprint and was a huge step in the right direction. The show’s future is (hopefully) bright, but are there someanime similar toDanMachithat fans should check out?
Updated on August 05, 2025 by Mark Sammut:Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? 5has finally started airing its last couple of episodes, bringing to a close an arc that has been quite good. Sooner rather than later, the show will come to a close, leaving fans with time to spare. Consequently, fans might wish to check out a fewanime like DanMachi.
Based on arguably themost influential manhwa of all time,Solo Leveling’s anime needed to knock it out of the park, both in terms of quality and performance. A successful adaptation could open the floodgates to more manhwa-based series, and A-1 Pictures was the right studio to take on this task. Delivering consistently top-notch action that compares favorably to pretty much anything else produced by the industry,Solo Levelingis an action fantasy epic that follows Sung Jin-woo as he goes from the weakest to the strongest hunter. His trajectory somewhat matchesDanMachi’s Bell, although Sung’s rise to power is far quicker and comes with a much higher ceiling.
Solo Levelingfairly quickly becomes an OP MC anime, particularly during season 2. There is nothing wrong with that, but it might not match everyone’s preferences. However, the series has other things to offer that complementDanMachi.Solo Levelingis set in a world where hunters join different factions/guilds, and they enter dungeons in the hope of clearing them. This aspect is explored relatively well by the show, and the dungeons are fairly visually interesting. The fight sequences are also quite similar toDanMachi, with a focus on quick movement and (occasionally) party dynamics.
Goblin Slayerincludes a handful of graphic sequences dealing with sexual assault.
A rather polarizing show,Goblin Slayeris not for everyone. Featuring one of the most notorious first episodes in recent history, the anime is a dark fantasy set in a fairly typical medieval-style world, albeit one packed with monsters. While considered “weak,” goblins are very dangerous due to attacking in a pack and the fact that they are usually hunted by rookie adventurers who do not know what they are doing. Fortunately, the eponymous Goblin Slayer dedicates all of his time and energy to taking out these creatures. Initially a lone wolf, he quickly builds a party consisting of likable albeit archetypal characters.
Similar toDanMachi,Goblin Slayeremphasizes party-based combat, with the main group pretty much always fighting as a unit. Coordination, cooperation, and preparation are very important, especially since they constantly engage in encounters that are life-or-death situations. Season 1 has quite a few dark moments, season 2 is more of a traditional action fantasy.
Fantasy anime sure love their video game tropes. Even when not specifically stated to be set in an RPG, stories still throw out stats, progression systems, classes, guilds, and everything else. Although far from the most blatant example in anime,DanMachiincorporates a few gaming mechanics and sayings into its universe, albeit twisted enough to contain an element of originality.
Shangri-La Frontiersaid to hell with it and decided to just be about an MMO. This series follows a teenager as they play a “god” game, which is basically a dream RPG that everyone wishes existed. Due to its premise, this anime does not have much in the way of tension or genuine stakes; at most, a character might waste a few hours or beoutsmarted by other players. Consequently, the series has nothing that compares toDanMachi’s life-or-death conflicts, which are particularly prevalent in seasons 4 and 5.
However,Shangri-La Frontiershares quite a few positives withDanMachi. Both shows have fantastic action sequences that emphasize tactics, planning, and occasionally teamwork. They are capable of producing laughs, althoughShangri-La Frontieris quite a bit funnier. The video game setting does not come at the expense of world-building, as Shangri-La Frontier is extremely well-developed and consistent.
Anyone who enjoys isekai is likely already familiar withRe:Zero, a great novel that spawned a fantastic manga and perhaps the theme’s best anime. Like any isekai story,Re:Zerois somewhat divisive, largely thanks to an initially frustrating protagonist and a second season that threatens to overstay its welcome at points. However, at its best, this dark fantasy is not just an all-time great within its theme but also in the entire fantasy spectrum.
Now,Re:ZeroandDanMachiare not directly similar. While not devoid of action, the former focuses far more on character-driven dialogue and battles of wits (and ideologies), especially due to revolving around an MC who is even weaker than Bell during the first season. A key ability notwithstanding, Subaru is physically vulnerable and cannot offer much in fights; however, like Bell, his refusal to back down and willingness to risk everything for those he loves attracts people to him.
8Delicious In Dungeon
A Twist On Dungeon Crawling
A Winter 2024 delight,Delicious in Dungeonoffers a charming take on dungeon crawling, and it is a must-watch for fans of fantasy animeorDungeons & Dragons. The story follows a party as they traverse a dungeon to rescue a companion who was eaten by a dragon, and they have to get to her before she is digested. As they cannot afford to be bogged down by unnecessary weight or to waste time restocking supplies, they decide to eat the dungeon’s monstrous inhabitants, a solution that not every member is equally excited by.
As this premise implies,Delicious in Dungeonis a comedy that loves to twist genre tropes; that said, the anime still tells an effective fantasy story filled with endearing characters. While the show’s tone is lighthearted, the characters take their situations seriously, which heightens the humor while making room for the occasional action sequence. Unsurprisingly, Trigger’s animation is stunning, and the dungeon manages to be traditional while also oozing personality.
The Tower of Druagais bizarre in more ways than one. Firstly, the anime is a sequel to a respected but old game, a fact the show loves to acknowledge in both blatant and subtle ways. Secondly, the first episode is a wacky parody of fantasy stories and clashes wildly with the anime’s otherwise serious tone. Both of these things might discourageDanMachifans from givingThe Tower of Druagaa try, which would be a shame as the shows are cut from a similar cloth.
While Bell strives to descend the dungeon’s levels,The Tower of Druaga’s Jil wants to climb to the top of the titular structure. This journey cannot be done alone either, so Jil teams up with a few colorful class archetypes who make up for his weaknesses (and hard-headedness). The leads also have relatively similar arcs, particularly regarding their power scaling.
This recommendation comes with an asterisk sinceMade in Abyssis far darker thanDanMachi, to the point the anime can be uncomfortable to watch at times. However, the shows share similar premises as they both follow adventurers who descend mysterious dungeons filled with awe-inspiring and terrifying things.The deeper they get, the worse nightmares they face.
Made in Abysstortures its heroes in ways that go beyond any setbacks endured by Bell, although both anime touch upon similar themes like human corruption. Kinema Citrus' series also dedicates a lot of time to establishing the mythos of the Abyss, ensuring the location feels like a living entity.
Although not devoid of comedy, each new season ofDanMachihas heightened the dramatic tension at the cost of humor. It is a dark fantasy show that emphasizes the inherent dangers of Bell’s chosen lifestyle.Grimgar: Ashes and Illusionsdoes effectively the same thing, albeit with an isekai twist.
Stripped of their memory and lacking much in the way of survival skills, a group of teenagers are stranded in a cutthroat fantasy world that shows little sympathy for the weak. In order to survive, they begin to take on basic quests that offer high risk but little reward.
KonoSubahas a completely different tone thanDanMachisince it is primarily a parody of the isekai genre, despite some episodes and the movie dabbling in a touch of action. Still, this show is only for people looking for a comedic take on the fantasy genre; however, these two series have some things in common.
For one, both stories revolve around a human and goddess dynamic, although Kazuma and Aqua’s banter tends to be more adversarial than Bell and Hestia’s supporting friendship. As the anime progresses,Kazuma gradually forms a party of misfitswho can hold their own in battle but also have a few glaring weaknesses.
Naofumi Iwatani is a university student who suddenly gets transported to a strange world. He soon learns of The Four Cardinal Heroes who are offered a spear, bow, shield, and sword to defeat the Waves of Catastrophe. Once Naofumi arrives in this world, he is cursed with the title of “Shield Hero”, and quickly becomes the butt of many jokes, as the Shield Hero is often seen as weaker than the rest.
Certain events lead to Naofumi being discriminated against by the people of Melromarc, thanks to the cunningMalty Melromarc. This, understandably, causes Naofumi to lose all trust in those around him and vows to improve his reputation and overall strength. He quickly realizes that working alone isn’t the smartest idea, and decides to purchase a troubled demi-human slave called Raphtalia.The Rising of the Shield Herofollows Naofumi and his companion, Raphtalia, on their journey to defeat the Waves.
The Rising of the Shield Herotends to be a polarizing anime, particularly the sequel. That said, the first season is quite entertaining, and Naofumi is, at least, a fairly unique protagonist for the isekai genre. LikeDanMachi,Shield Herofeatures a protagonist who is largely shunned by society, although he quickly begins to prove everyone wrong.
