This is probably the only show to date that I’ve reviewed this many seasons for and there’s a good reason for it. I’ve consistently enjoyed this show since the beginning and each season gives me a different reason to do so. Naturally, I come to season five with very high expectations. Now the big question is can it meet those expectations for a fifth time?

Season five starts by showing the growth our characters had after the intense battles of season four. It’s now time for the goddess festival, and Syr has asked our hero Bell to the festival. A seemingly simple date that spirals out of control as secrets slowly get revealed, and Freya makes her move on Bell. We know that Freya has had her eyes on Bell since season one, but we didn’t know to what extent.

Once the layers of her obsession are revealed, we really get a series of surprising revelations one after the other. In the middle of all of that, Bell is faced with a battle unlike any other as his bonds with the other characters are put to the ultimate test as Freya plays intense mind games. I won’t spoil the specifics, but I will say I’ve never seen a character as good at gaslighting as her. The story of season five is an emotional one as Freya’s love for Bell is in full force, and she will not stop until she has him. The characters around Bell equally love him and want to see him safe, which sees the return of something we haven’t seen since season two, War Games!!

What makes season five set itself apart is the absence of major battles till the very end of the season. Sure, fighting does happen, but everything is done to set up a climactic finish. Most of the season is spent emphasizing the emotional toll love is taking on Freya as well as the psychological toll her actions are taking on Bell. Plus, we get a lot of revelations about characters I didn’t even know had secrets, but they did, and the reveals are all amazing.

When we do get to the end of the season, we’re treated with a wonderfully done battle spanning several episodes. The end of the battle sees a revelation of the emotional buildup that has been happening throughout the season for a very satisfactory ending.

Once again, Is It Wrong To Try and Pick Up Girls In a Dungeon manages to create another unique season focusing on emotional and psychological depth. It focuses on showing Freya’s feelings in full force as well as how desperate she is to have them satisfied, but it also takes time to give fun reveals for many other characters. When the emotional battle turns physical, we’re treated to the most intense War Games we’ve ever seen that ends wonderfully.