The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter (2021)

[俺だけ入れる隠しダンジョン]

Director: Kenta Onishi
Studio: Okoruto Noboru
Starring: Ryota Osaka, Miyu Tomita, Rumi Okubo
Episodes: 12

Synopsis:
A rookie adventurer finds a secret dungeon that gives him an incredible advantage.

Impressions:
This show has an interesting concept, where a person can increase their power by indulging their desires, but it plays it rather safe, innocently middle-of-the-road. Our protagonist Noir is a mostly timid, generic nice guy, which makes him rather inoffensive but not all that interesting either. I would've liked to see stronger conflict. For instance, what if Noir was a cleric in training and finds his moral code conflicting with the need for power? What if he didn't have growing, fully compliant harem on hand to give him the boost he needs? There's little in the way of drama and the comedy angle isn't played up that hard either. You get your basic fanservice and some mild chuckles at best. I'm not saying it's bad per se. As I said before, it's just middle-of-the-road. It's fine. Character designs are nice and there's a comfy feel to the relationship with Noir and his harem. One sticking point for me is the discrimination Noir faces as the son of a baronet compared to other nobles, which doesn't feel plausible (and Noir whinging about how tough it is being "only" a minor noble grates a bit). All told, it's not terribly compelling but I enjoyed it well enough. Give it a watch if you're in the mood for a mildly ecchi fantasy comedy.

Rating:
Watch It