I finished volume 7 yesterday. That makes DanMachi the longest I have read any series in Japanese (I previously had multiple instances of 6 books). (Just tagging @afunian instead of posting in the DanMachi thread).
This book took an interesting turn toward the “darker and edgier” by taking place in red light district and featuring things like (spoilers and trigger warning) human(oid?) trafficking and sexual assault. In particular, those points were handled relatively well for a light novel (meaning none of it is played for laugh). I also think the terror the main character is feeling about his situation is well transmitted, and provides way more tension than the fight scenes: during a fight, you get one arm lopped off? Have a potion, you’re all set. Actually, in this very book one character literally blows herself up (as in literally; she uses magic to turn herself into an actual bomb). Soooo, she’s dead, right? Right? Nah, she got better (how??? Well, thanks to a potion of higher plot invincibility of course). On the other hand, the book conveys explicitly that sexual assault will leave mental damages that cannot just be magically healed. (And I’m going to leave it here, because that’s not something I want to expand on).
Anyway, the story centers around the attempt of the main character to save one victim of (demi?)human trafficking, and that forces him to face some hard facts: even if he saves her, well, there are still hundreds, probably thousands of others in her situation. Is he going to save them too? No? Why? Also, there’s a huge demand for prostitutes in the city (well, female ones, at least, I haven’t spotted a single male one, even though adventurers, the main group of “customers” seem split roughly 50/50 in terms of gender, and even if only male adventurers go to brothels, they can’t all be heterosexual?). Even if the main character saves a hundred of them, they will immediately be replaced. Closing the red light district is not an option either, it would just become more underground, illegal and thus dangerous. Additionally, the red light district is controlled by a very powerful ファミリア, meaning that if he does anything funny, basically not only him but also his friends will be at risk.
Sadly, at the last minute, the author backpedaled. Or maybe the editor? I don’t know, but suddenly (1) nobody died (even people who were slaughtered during the last fight scene), no explanation is given. (2) actually said girl is still a virgin by miracle (!), thus completely different from all the others and thus justify saving her specifically without any cognitive dissonance.
I have to say, I’m not super happy about that resolution. Not only is it unbelievable, but I also think that having to make hard choice between multiple wrong options would have given an opportunity for the main character (and the story telling) to mature… Well, I guess you can’t really go against what your target audience is supposed to expect (<- that’s one reason why I think the editor backpedaled).
Anyway, that was still an entertaining read, especially for a light novel. I’m moving on to volume 8; let’s see if the author will keep adding some dark and edgy in the future. I’m assuming volume 8 will be back to goofy plot, to give a bit of a breather after this volume, though.