DanMachi is a popular license, and Wakanim knows it well. Thus, after having proposed in simulcast season 2 of the series during the summer of 2019, the platform was able to offer, a few months later, its OAV. Released in Japan at the start of the year, on January 29, this bonus episode arrived the same day in France. And like the OAV of season 1, it offers new content, light and nicely fan-service, this time taking our heroes to the beach.
Conceived by the same staff as season 2, the OAV is called in French “What’s wrong with collecting medicinal herbs on a desert island?”, And takes place quite logically after the events of the second season , as evidenced by the presence of Haruhime in the group, or the fact that Daphne and Cassandra no longer belong to the Familia of Apollo.
At Miach’s request, members of the Familia d’Hestia as well as Ryû are sent in search of a very rare medicinal herb that only grows on a desert island, strangely named Friendship Island. Once there, it seems much less time to search for the famous plant than to relax in this paradisiacal setting! But quickly, the group is likely to run into improbable problems, starting with the discovery of an Aiz wandering on the island and whose personality has completely changed …
Concretely, the episode follows a pattern that could not be more classic, with precisely a first half connected to fan-service and a second half offering a little offbeat plot.
Here, therefore, exit Orario and the Dungeon, and make way for a small deserted island seemingly paradisiacal, the kind of setting that we are not necessarily used to seeing in DanMachi. And of course, who says beach means everyone in swimsuits, and on that side the staff was rather happy since, starting from a new quarrel between romantic rivals, he manages to end up with a small swimsuit contest at the end of which Bell is supposed to choose her favorite.
Obviously, it does not fly high, but beyond the many moments where this first part of OAV flatters the eye a little, we easily retain the part of humor, whether thanks to the character of the characters (in particular Hestia , Lili and Haruhime who happily fantasize about their relationship with our hero), to the reactions of Bell who is a little overwhelmed and embarrassed by the situation, and to this dear Welf who improvises as a commentator.
However, where, like the OAV of season 1, one would have expected this new bonus episode to play all along on this light and funny fanserv, the staff ends up trying to surprise a little bit at the end of the swimsuit contest thanks to the sudden appearance of a metamorphosed Aiz, partially amnesic and, above all, completely carefree and jovial … and this is only the beginning of trouble!
The story then rushes into a little mystery which, of course, does not seek far either, but which is conducive to a good little delirium where, from Aiz to Ryû passing by the others (but hey, the cases of these last two is more striking, as their character is usually serious), we discover the characters as we had never seen them before, in a humor that is gently absurd, stupid and a bit hysterical. For those who love comedy a bit silly, certain moments have their effect, in particular the scenes of the sea cucumber and the barbecue.
It doesn’t really make sense … and it has the merit of being accepted as such until the end, in view of the final which has no real logic and which leaves us voluntarily on a part of the blur. This conclusion can clearly divide: some will join the trip, while others will remain hungry. But whatever the case, the idea of harnessing Cassandra’s premonitory dream gift is an interesting one, at least on paper.
At the end of the day, it’s best to turn your brain off to take advantage of this 27-minute OAV. From there, there is enough to spend a pretty nice moment on a first half doing in pure humorous fan-service, then on a second half developing a little trip that is not unpleasant if we accept its lack of logical end. A small light supplement, allowing to find our heroes in a new context, while waiting for the resumption of serious things in the future third season.
