DanMachi 03
I may have said it before, but the scene where Issei cries on Rias' chest in S1 of HSDxD confirms why I like Issei a lot. Those moments of weakness, of being nakedly emotional, those show a greater inner strength, the strength to be honest and ask for help, than anything else. And so is the case for Bell. He saved the day, but because Hestia and he worked together.
I also like that Aiz, his Dulcinea, is someone stronger than him, that he aspires to be like and equal. There's probably still a bit of the chestnut "I will protect you" - Japan's way of a near-confession - in there, but so far, that hasn't happened yet, at least in the first volume. At best, this could be called a love triangle, so categorizing this show as a "harem" is confusing and doesn't seem to do the show any favors, at least until the Western fandom perception of harems/romantic comedies changes into a more positive one. It's a fantasy series before anything else.
So the first novel comes to a close, and beyond this point, we get into territory where I don't know what'll happen, besides Mayayan voicing another short, brown-haired girl. Which I'm perfectly okay with. I like how Hestiamania is going, and this show is a pleasant treat to watch on Fridays.
The subtitle is perhaps more accurate to the show. Picking up girls in a dungeon is merely a pretense for why Bell's there. In truth, it's about family.