Kara Dennison
August 7, 2024 
Everyone loves a good dungeon crawl! Testing your mettle against monsters, looting chests, and increasing your level are all rewarding. But what if there was more to dungeons than meets the eye? In the summer anime season, three shows offer up different spins on what it means to take the dive into the labyrinths below.
Like Delicious in Dungeon before them, these three anime see dungeons as more than a monster fight. You can enter contests, earn credits, or even hold down a job in these dungeons!
Dungeon People
What happens when you dive deeper into a dungeon than anyone before? Well, if you’re Clay, you get a job! Dungeon People, based on the manga by Sui Futami, is just one of many adventure fantasy series in the summer anime lineup. But this one lifts the curtain on life in the underground, revealing a carefully balanced business.
As Clay collaborates with dungeon manager Belle, she learns about everything it takes to keep things ticking over. Monsters have lodging, invulnerability spells are in place, and even local guilds help supply loot. With this access to the dungeon’s inner workings, maybe Clay can even find her missing dad.
Wistoria: Wand and Sword
The summer anime Wistoria: Wand and Sword focuses on Will Serfort, a student of magic who can’t cast spells. But instead of bulking up like Mash Burnedead, he focuses on utilizing magic items, increasing his combat prowess, and studying really, really hard.
Fortunately, students can earn credits by defeating monsters in the nearby dungeon. Given Will’s inability to put magic into practice, that’s how he fills out the credits he’ll need to graduate. And now many prestigious mages—including Will’s childhood friend—have noticed his skills.
A Nobody’s Way up to an Exploration Hero
At first glance, the summer anime A Nobody’s Way up to an Exploration Hero may seem to take place in a fantasy world. But Kaito and his classmates are all perfectly normal Japanese teens. They just happen to live in a version of the world where dungeons have sprung up underground.
As adventurers explore and clear out the dungeon levels, they’re opened up for amateurs to explore. Having found two powerful summons, Kaito is now becoming a super-skilled dungeon delver. But dungeon crawls aren’t all fun—they can be pretty dangerous, as Kaito’s crush knows. To pursue his dreams, he’ll have to keep his activities quiet.
Want more epic battles? Check out the Rooster Fighter manga!
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