Familia Myth: Journey to Hero Review
If there’s series that we here at the D&A Anime Blog love that isn’t Dragon Ball, it’s DanMachi: Is it Wrong to Pick up Girls in a Dungeon. It’s not hard to understand why. The characters are fun, the setting is good, and it one of the most popular anime waifu’s of the 2010s and 2020s, Hestia. With her cute looks, signature ribbon, and sweet nature, millions of people agree that Hestia is bestia. Unfortunately for shippers, her love for Bell seems doomed to be completely one-sided since Bell only has eyes for Ais Wallenstein. In fact, Bell has managed to win the affections of multiple girls, yet remains completely oblivious to this, no matter how blatantly obvious they are. At some point, it can become very grating!
What if there was a version of the story where Bell wasn’t that oblivious? More importantly, what if that story had Bell start off as more competent? As a result, he not only gets acknowledged much earlier, but things actually happen with the many possible ships in harbor Cranel. This is Familia Myth: Journey to Hero. AKA what happens when Bell actually lives up to the name of his series.
Warning: the following series will contain explicit content only suitable for mature audiences.
Name: Familia Myth: Journey to Hero
Type of Fanfic: AU
Written By: Kairomaru
Started: Dec 2021
Status: Ongoing
What if Bell Was More Competent from the Start
The basic premise to this AU fanfic is that Bell doesn’t set out for Orario until he’s 18 rather than 14. It might not seem like much, but most people will tell you that those four years can make all the difference in one’s capabilities. Bell takes being an adventurer more seriously since he’s older and wiser than in the canon. He actively takes notes and jots down all the advice that his advisor, Eina, gives him. This leaves him much more prepared to deal with the perils of the Dungeon, allowing him to establish himself as the ideal rookie adventurer.
Bell is also noticeably more confident in this story. For example, that one scene where Bete from the Loki Familia badmouths him at the bar. Instead of running away crying, he decides to order them a round of drinks but deliberately excludes Bete as punishment. It’s almost like someone had blessed Bell with bonus stats before he ever set foot in Orario…*sideways glance*
It’s not just Bell who’s a little smarter in this fanfic. While she mostly remains the same, lovable goddess/waifu as ever, Hestia is noticeably smarter with their money. After they get a few windfalls they don’t have in canon, she doesn’t blow it on luxuries, instead choosing to invest in real estate. Not only can the Hestia Familia renovate their old church, but they can also afford to rebuild the surrounding district into shops and homes where they can collect rent. So they start knocking off the heavy debt she accumulated faster than in canon. Other than that, though, Hestia remains the same top-tier waifu whose madly in love with Bell, especially after they start dating.
…wait, what?
Shippers, Rejoice!
Despite the series title being “Is it Wrong to Pick up Girls in a Dungeon,” Bell does little of the sort in the series. After being saved by Ais, Bell falls in love with her and makes it his goal to get strong enough to be worthy of dating her. It’s an admirable goal, but he’s so single-mindedly devoted to it that he ignores the advances of all the other women in his life. Even when best girl Hestia makes it obvious that she wants to date him, he’s either completely oblivious…or flat-out in denial of the fact.
Every single man and woman who enjoys the series and wishes they had a partner like Hestia in their lives has to have felt frustrated at least once watching Bell.
For better or worse, Familia Myth does away with that particular aspect of Bell’s character. In this story, not only is he aware of the feelings of the women in his life, but he reciprocates each and every one of them. He already starts dating Hestia before the first chapter is even done, and more girls begin to follow.
And before you ask, yes. The story gets explicit with what Bell and the other girls do. It’s sprinkled throughout the story, but at one point, we get an entire chapter largely focused on it. Hope you’re happy.
It’s a Good Read if You Like Danmachi
The story itself is a decent length by fanfic standards (though I’ve read incredibly long stories), but nowhere near as long as the actual series. To put things in perspective, it’s only starting to catch up to the beginning of season two. Given its status as an AU, though, there’s no telling how long it may end up going, or even if it finishes. Then again, it’s about the journey, not the destination. And given how this story allows for ample opportunities for fans to see Bell get with their chosen waifu, it’s a good journey. With DanMachi in the middle of its fifth season, I’d reccomend giving this a shot.
Also, this story has a TV Tropes page. The fact that people spent the time to make that is a testament to how good it can be.
