Recommended
Comedy is Subjective. And the short answer is simple: Of course it is, don’t be ridiculous. Except when it isn’t. Clear? No? Oh...I thought this was going so well. Comedy is subjective because different people laugh at different things. That doesn’t mean it isn’t, nor does it mean there’s something wrong with our own sense of humor – it just means it’s not for us. Some people don’t find ‘Monty Python’ or ‘The Hitch-Hikers’ Guide to the Galaxy' funny. They are, of course, wrong because they disagree and that will never do. What’s that? I’m not the centre of the universe nor the arbiter of whatis and isn’t funny? Really? Have you got written evidence of that? You have? Oh okay, they’re not wrong either...it’s really not that complicated. Funny isn’t universal, it’s very, very personal. So personal in fact, that when someone doesn’t find a show funny they start issuing death threats and demanding the people involved be erased from existence. The effort and aggression people put into not liking the people who wrote/created comedy they don’t like is staggering and frankly a bit odd.
On the other hand, I’d say comedy isn’t subjective when it fails to amuse the people it was specifically created for. Let's say if you like a particular stand-up comedian and, in the middle of a funny set, he tells a joke which repeatedly fails to elicit a laugh from every audience he plays to, then it’s not funny. Move on. If you create shows aimed at the same audience who loves said shows and they hate it...it’s not funny. You’ve failed. Kill yourself, now. Do it now. Except...maybe you haven’t failed? Maybe it’ll find a different audience who’ll love it? Or maybe it won’t. Maybe I’ve no idea what I’m talking about and should shut the f*** up? On balance, that seems increasingly likely.
The point is, just because you don’t find something funny, doesn’t mean it isn’t. Unless the person was specifically trying to make you laugh, in which case it probably isn’t. Or you haven’t got a sense of humour. Or the person misunderstood what kind of thing you find funny. Or something else. Or possibly you’ll find it funny next time you hear it because you either didn’t get it or were too busy worrying about other things that would make your time more valuable. And that you can take it as a boon or a bane to your "funny" bones.
And now, back to Last Dungeon. Those recommendations you see that are similar to this show, they're oh-so-wrong. Instead, I'll refer us back to Spring 2018 with a little unknown show named Last Period, based off a gacha mobage game. To the minority whom have watched Last Period before, the similarities between this and Last Dungeon aren't that hard to match up with the same exact humor style of underlying fun with the silliness and stupidity cranked up to 11. Sure, what Last Period has an edge over Last Dungeon with lies in its blatant KonoSuba-ish tactic of references and puns strewn in for the comedic effect that fits and works, but that's not to say that what the latter lacked doesn't make up for in the comedic space. Last Dungeon rather, uses common tropes (in this case, a character that's incrediously OP on the outside and weak on the inside) and gives it the comedic push to good effect. It doesn't need to be "on the ball" or "over the top" like similar brethren out there, but it only needs to do enough to make it stand out from the crowd with the fantasy adventure meta lore, balancing out plot for comedy that doesn't feel like it's both oversaturated and stretched to the limit (though it can be felt at times).
If anything, Last Dungeon excels at its vast range of characters who each serve a purpose, even if they're nothing special to scoff at, other than the impending dumbfounded-ness that lingers at each and everyone's unique traits for timely comedic hilarity. Starting with the MC Lloyd Belladonna, you might think that he's the classic case of the usual OP character at first glance (and you're definitely correct at that), but take a look at the village that he lives in, and everything you see is the exact opposite. It's so easy to misjudge and label Lloyd as the typical OP-for-nothing character, but yet even when his ambition is made clear to protect his own village by earning his powers through hard work, that is a sign of the above-average generic character development that is a refresher in the fantasy landscape. Other than his non-common sense thinking that shrouds over the many girls that flout around him, I'd say that they have their strengths and weaknesses (although the one definite strength lies in the "intentional" harem): there's a loli grandma in a childlike body; a witch that beneath the coat lies a princess figure that otherwise is known for karma-cussing over the loli grandma for being Lloyd's guardian each and everytime; the occasional yandere "Cursed Belt" princess who always simps over the MC for a "white knight" appearance; the mercenary with one-arm whose love for money is unparalleled; and the strong girl with the fascination of matching her powers to the MC. Plus, the many side characters that serve to help integrate Lloyd into the human world, from the obtuse generics of a magic academy to the villains with hidden motives, everything is there to provide a course for the MC to follow and tread through, pretty much like a typical JRPG (but without the RPG elements). IMO, I personally love when characters make a mockery of themselves, only to be hilariously lambasted of the perceiving hitting rock-bottom when reality hits hard. Of course, they do show concern for one another when situations go off-hitch.
At first I was skeptical of the "quantity over quality" of Liden Films helming 4 shows for the Winter season alone, the likelihood of production teams crashing midway to meet deadlines is a serious litigation point in the anime industry. But surprisingly enough, Last Dungeon managed to stay consistent with its decent production values, not to mention the easily simple, yet recognizable character designs and comedic facials for the relentless comedy hilarity; good ol' adventure-fantasy labelled visuals that are pleasing to the eye, and the above-average animation to back this show up. Same goes with the music, which also is the average so-so quality that isn't worth remembering, but fine at best. My only plus point is Luce Twinkle Wink☆'s ED, after the Gamers! vibe of a nice ED, the same vibes carry over to this show, and I instantly fell in love with it from the very beginning. What a song to end each episode with the 4 central girls (Marie, Selen, Riho and Phyllo) for that harem take.
Once again, in the same slew and veins of fantasy adventure shows, the simple case of "Comedy is Subjective" goes straight down to the viewer, and that's for you to decide whether this is worth or wasting your time. If yes, then great, come along for the ride, but if not, this isn't the type of show you're looking for. To say that I recommend this "good" show is just undermining the significance of Last Period and similar contemporaries which may have done the comedy gag job the same or better. Try other similar shows first before coming back to this one, and see how your tastes vary.
