The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter Episode 8 Review – Best In Show

Quick Summary • Best Moment • Setup • Delivery • Other Posts

The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter Episode 8 Review – Quick Summary

In The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter Episode 8, “A Little Girl’s Wish“, Noir Starga emerged onto the dungeon’s seventh floor, but it looked and felt like he just walked outside. The sun shone overhead, and he found himself in a mature forest. His first encounter with monsters, though, showed him he was out of his depth: there were 3x his level! But when he tried to leave, a small girl’s voice stopped him. He turned, and to his shock, he saw a dryad who looked just like Emma Brightness had looked when they were children. The girl begged for his help because a monster had attacked her and she feared for her life. Will Noir agree to help? And if he does, what can he do when the monsters so thoroughly outclass him?

Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.

Favorite Quote from The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter Episode 8

I wouldn’t say she’s bad. She’s just drawn that way! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

I’ve discovered two things about this show. I’ll talk about the second in the next section, but the first is simple: The more Olivia, the more I enjoy it. This episode had yet another example that proves that theory.

Noir wanted to help Dory the Dryad, but the monsters were all well beyond his abilities. So, he did something I thought was smart: He asked his master. Olivia, of course, was ecstatic that he came to her. She quite enjoys the role of teacher/master!

After listening to him describe the problem, she advised him to forget it. It was too dangerous! He begged her, and she eventually gave in. However, she didn’t like it.

“But you’d better not die. I’ll go all the way to Hell to punch you if you do,” she said sternly (11:26).

“Don’t you mean Heaven?” Noir asked.

“Well, I won’t be going to Heaven. I’m a bad girl, after all!”

I think she’s selling herself short, but I still thought the quote was funny.

Best in Show Moment for The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter Episode 8

Lola couldn’t believe who had won the receptionist’s competition. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Setup: Well, It Was Always a Risk…

I knew that reviewing a show like this carried a certain risk. I said as much in my review of the first episode. We’d gotten though seven episodes that contained pretty much standard, relatively inoffensive harem ecchi antics. The series was humming along nicely.

That is, until this episode.

I don’t want to beat this into ground, but just for the record: There was absolutely no reason to introduce a dryad in child form. None. We already have three core harem members (Emma, Lola, and Luna) and three honorary members (Maria Fiana Albert, Amane, and Elna Stongs) who are all most definitely not children.

Look. I’m not into virtue signalling. I’m not looking to judge anyone, and I’m not about to judge an entire country’s culture based on a single episode or even dozens of episodes. But this just did not have to happen.

Dramatically, the idea that Noir initially felt reluctant to risk his life for someone he didn’t know, then reconsidered because she reminded him of Emma, might have worked. If it had stopped there! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

In fact, just imagine how much better this would have been if the dryad looked like Emma does now — or even older. Dryads throughout literature have appeared in a wide variety of body types, from young to obviously mature. There’s artistic precedent. I don’t want to speculate as to why the writers elected to take this direction, but it just wasn’t the best of times.

Delivery: Good to See Lola Score a Victory

That said, or more accurately, putting that aside, the episode did have a high point. Noir had gone into the dungeon in the first place to find rare items that would help Lola win the receptionist battle against the dominatrix named Sarah Longhram. After killing the Golden Bee (which looked very much like a wasp to me), Dory showed him a hidden treasure, which did looked very valuable to Noir’s Discerning Eye. The question remained: Was it valuable enough?

That night, the Odin Guild had its celebration and awards ceremony. The guild leaders had designed the presentation to draw out the drama as long as possible, and I have to say, it felt fun. Maybe it was simply fun in comparison to what had come before, but still, it worked.

One adventurer represented each receptionist. The guild leaders handed out leather bags full of gold coins. The gold coins represented the value their adventurers had brought in that month. In unison, the adventurers began pulling out gold coins and stacked them in front of the bag.

Sarah and Lola were both shocked at the right of the last coin standing. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

The audience really got into it, and the scene worked dramatically. By the end, only two adventurers remained: Noir and some huge dude representing Sarah. They kept pulling out gold coins until at the end, they both held up their hands to indicate the last draw. Only Noir’s hand held a gold coin. Lola had won.

Her expression made the count worth it! Now, if Noir can stick to his own age group…

What did you think of Olivia’s plan to defeat the Gold Bee? What was your Best in Show moment? Let me know in the comments!

The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter Episode 8: Other Posts

Other Anime Sites

• Reddit: Ore dake Haireru Kakushi Dungeon: Kossori Kitaete Sekai Saikyou – Episode 8 discussion
• PinoyChan: MUST! PROTECC! | The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter Episode 8 Reaction

This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)

• The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter Episode 1: Powerful Skill Set
• The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter Episode 2: The Guild and the Receptionist
• The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter Episode 3: The Troubled Classmate
• The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter Episode 4: The Untainted Cleric
• The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter Episode 5: The Future of This Harem
• The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter Episode 6: The Tulip Lion
• The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter Episode 7: The Receptionist Ranking
• The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter Episode 8: A Little Girl’s Wish
• The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter Episode 9: To the Gala
• The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter Episode 10: Let’s Go To the Hot Springs
• The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter Episode 11: Noir’s Decision
• The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter Episode 12: A Battle I Can’t Lose