Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? II (Episode 8) – Ephemeral Dreams | Killing Stone

Aisha easily defeats Bell and even takes care of Mikoto who came to help, but before she can deliver him to Ishtar, Phryne steals him away and hides Bell in her dungeon…
What did you watch?
This is episode 8 of Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? II and things are getting interesting and a little dark. I mentioned last week about Ishtar’s plan to kidnap and seduce Bell before giving him to her girls to play with, but I don’t think I went far enough in pointing out just how crazy a situation this is. I can’t help but imagine how a story arc like this would be viewed if the genders were reversed. Anyhow, it’s time to see what happened next. Don’t forget there will be spoilers.

What happened?
The Amazons captured Bell and Mikoto and took them back to their headquarters, however, before they could deliver Bell to Ishtar, Phyrne stole him away and hid him in her personal dungeon. Aisha sends the Amazons hurrying about trying to find him before she can do anything to him. She was right to be worried, Bell woke up chained to a wall, surrounded by torture implements and with Phryne standing over him. She tells him that when she’s done with him, he will want no one other than her, but before she can really get going, she needs to find him something to get things started…
Luckily, Haruhime is the only person to know about Phryne’s secret dungeon and frees Bell while Phryne is away. She also freed Mikoto earlier and plans on leading Bell to the outside. Mikoto, searching for Bell, stumbles upon a document outlining the use of the Killing Stone. It takes the soul of a Renard and is then broken. Each fragment will hold the Renard’s power and give it to the holder. However, the Renard will die. Mikoto finds Bell and Haruhime and confronts her about the Killing Stone, but Aisha steals her away.

What did you think?
In truth, not a lot happened in this episode, but it did reveal quite a bit. The most important piece of information was given to us twice as Mikoto read about the Killing Stone and Takemikazuchi told Hestia about it. The fact that Haruhime knew about it and was ready for what comes next was particularly brutal and I felt Bell’s emotions at that moment. Then when Aisha taunted him from the rooftop, I felt something else and I’ll get to that shortly. In all, I really enjoyed this episode and will probably continue to feel that way for the rest of the series.

What was your favourite moment?
The action has always been one of my favourite things about this series and at the beginning of the episode, we got some. Some of it was from the end of the last episode, but that was fine because it continued the fight between Aisha and Bell and it was excellent. The actions of the fighters are fluid as the camera work follows their movements and even gets drawn into the action. It really was a great way to start the episode, although it does make me wish to see more adventuring in the dungeon.

What was your least favourite moment?
I mentioned about how Ishtar was planning on kidnapping and raping Bell, and then having all of her underlings do it too. Well, if that wasn’t insane enough, Phryne stole Bell so that she could have first go. I’m not entirely sure how Ishtar will feel about that given what she did to Aisha in her flashback. Maybe it was all actually a part of Ishtar’s plan. Either way, this whole story arc is crazy and not that clever. There were a few instances where the plot just solved all the issues for the characters.
For example, Phryne not having her stuff to get Bell revved up to hand was a little bit ridiculous. Maybe it was intentional to make him sweat and increase the fear and anticipation, but then I doubt she would have gone too far away. Then there was the fact that only Haruhime knew where it was. Seems mighty convenient. Not to mention Mikoto stumbling across the guide book to the Killing Stone. It just kept happening. If I didn’t already love this show, something like that would be a major annoyance to me. Luckily, I do love the show, so it’s just a minor one. Still lazy, but I’m not going to get too mad.

Who was your favourite character?
In my review of the last episode, I noted that Aisha didn’t seem to be totally onboard with Ishtar’s plan and there was something a little off about how she treated Haruhime. Well, I think I was definitely on to something. When Aisha captured Haruhime and told Bell and Mikoto the little story of how she was beaten and then abused by Ishtar and how she cannot disobey her goddess, it all started to click together for me.
Aisha hates Ishtar. Like really hates her. Enough to seek out the Familia that just defeated the Apollo Familia and orchestrate a situation where Ishtar would have to fight them. Aisha doesn’t want Haruhime to die and her words weren’t meant to chastise Bell and make him feel insignificant. She wants him to take Haruhime and start the war so that she can see Ishtar defeated and gain her freedom. That’s why Aisha is my favourite character once more. I may be way off the mark, but that’s the vibe I’m getting and I really hope I’m right.

Who was your least favourite character?
I said a couple of episodes back that Phryne is terrifying. At that time, I had no idea just how right I was. Who knows what Bell might have been thinking when he woke chained to the wall with her drooling as she walked towards him? If it had been me, I would have unleashed as many Fire-bolts as possible. Burn everything!

Would you like some more?
I’m already massively invested in this series that it is a given. The fact that I’ve now put together a theory on where we’re going means there’s no chance I’m not going to want more. There are few things I enjoy more than unravelling a story as it’s being told. Sure, I’m not always right, but it’s part of the fun and if it doesn’t come to be, well, that’s just more story ammunition to store for one of my own stories.

Other reviews in the series
Anime
- Season One
- OVA One
- Season Two
- Episode 0 – Past & Future
- Episode 1 – Party | Banquet of the Gods
- Episode 2 – Apollo | Sun God
- Episode 3 – Conversion | Gathering
- Episode 4 – War Game | War Game
- Episode 5 – Home | The Hearthfire Mansion
- Episode 6 – Ishtar Familia | City of Lust
- Episode 7 – Renard | Fox Person
- Episode 8 – Ephemeral Dreams | Killing Stone
- Episode 9 – Berbera | War Prostitutes
- Episode 10 – Argonaut | Longing to Be a Hero
- Episode 11 – Rakia | Army’s Advance
- Episode 12 – Song of Love | Goddess and Child
- OVA Two
- Season Three
- Episode 1 – Wiene Dragon’s Daughter
- Episode 2 – Monster | One Wing
- Episode 3 – Xenos | Outliers
- Episode 4 – Aspiration | Distant Dream
- Episode 5 – Ikelos Familia | King of Atrocity
- Episode 6 – Knossos | Man-Made Labyrinth
- Episode 7 – Dix Perdix | The Dreams of Beasts
- Episode 8 – Bell Cranel | The Fool
- Episode 9 – Stigma | Downfall
- Episode 10 – Invisible | Forced Breakthrough
- Episode 11 – Ultra Soul | Decisive Battle
- Episode 12 – Argonaut | Hero’s Return
- OVA Three
- Bonus Posts
Manga
- Series Review
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Poor Bell. That familia is full of hot women, but the sole ugly one is the one that tries to have her way with him.
This is true, however, had any of the attractive ones wanted to do what Phryne was planning it wouldn’t have mattered what they look like.