Summary
In the world ofDanMachi, the concept of familia is a major aspect of the series that defines the lives of adventurers and the economic, social, and political structure of the City of Orario. These familias are organizations led by gods and goddesses that have descended to themortal world to live among people. When these supreme beings create their familias, they bestow upon their followers, adventurers who joined their family, a Falna, a heavenly blessing that allows them to get stronger through experiences gained in the dungeon and from conflicts.
Familias differ from each other in size, purpose, function, and impact, reflecting the will of their god. Some concentrate on exploring dungeons and fighting, while others focus on making weapons and various materials needed for the day-to-day activities of adventurers. With these varying roles in society, the familias are very essential to the running of things inthe world ofDanMachiand Orarioas a whole.
Origin Of Familias
Balancing Divine Will And Mortal Survival
For as long as they can remember, adventurers have always explored the dungeon with the help of spirits, with the gods watching them. Over time, these gods got tired of the lack of action in the heavens and decided to give themselves a challenge. They decided to descend to the mortal world and live amongst mortals,sealing most of their divine powersaway to experience the world like humans do. However, the dungeon despises the gods, hindering them from having any direct action. So, they retained one ability, the ability to bestow Falna, a status of sorts. The gods bestow this Falna on adventurers who choose to follow them and fight on their behalf, forming a familia.
A familia is essentially a family-like organization where a god leads a group of adventurers who are blessed by them and are under their protection. The creation of familias fulfilled not only the god’s desire for connection with the mortals but also the mortals' need for power in their dangerous world. The gods were able to cut down their abilities to equal those of mortals by sharing their divine spirit, yet they are able to influence the growth of their followers through this bond that they share. Familias also helped establish an orderly structure in Orario by providing adventurers with security, employment opportunities, and some other benefits in exchange for their devotion and service to their own gods.
Falna
God’s Blessing
The Falna is the main concept behind familias. An adventurer immediately receives Falna once he joins a familia, transforming them from a normal human being or demi-human to a supernatural adventurer. The Falna is shown as some sort of tattoo with scribblings detailing its characteristics and the emblem of the familia on it. Ittracks the growth and experience of an individual and converts these things into measurable stats like durability, magic, and strength. As the gods cannot directly influence the mortal world with their full divine power, they use Falna to help their followers grow by guiding and updating their stats, replenishing and improving their stats from time to time with the experience they have gained.
This is also how unique skills that align with the personality, talent, and experiences of an adventurer are created. For example, Bell Cranel was able to obtain Liaris Freese, a skill that guarantees fast growth and immunity to charms as long as he is in love because he attempted to close the gap betweenhimself and Ais Wallenstein. This is a concept that makesDanMachidifferent from most fantasy anime. While other anime characters either have to acquire strength through training or are born with it, this one combines divine blessing with a game-like leveling system in a structured manner.
Structure Of Familias
God-Adventurer Relationship
The familias inDanMachiare a blend of family, guilds, and religious bodies all in one, and every member has a role to play in keeping their familias running, even the gods. These gods do not participate in any form of combat or dungeon exploration directly but are in charge of the internal affairs of the familia, ensuring their stability and maintaining their reputation in the city. The family members of the familia also stay together, either in a place owned by the familia or given to them by the city. With the god or goddess taking the role of parent and the adventurers acting as siblings, familias create a sense of security in a world where it is difficult to survive alone, but exceptions remain.
Each adventurer in a familia has their own role to play depending on their abilities. Some work at the forefront of combat, while others play more supportive roles like healers, mages, and even strategists. However, this division of work in a familia also depends on the size. There are familias with few members,such as the Hestia familiathat have a simple hierarchy, while others, such as the Loki familia usually have complex hierarchies with captains and commanders who help manage the operations and guide other members during dungeon expeditions.
Types Of familias
A Blend Of Tradition And Specialization
Although all familias have the same template—a god or goddess leader and their followers—they do not all have the same function. Different familias take up different functions in society, usually in line with the priorities of their god.
Adventure Familias
These are the most common types of familias and they focus on combat and dungeon exploration. Consisting of adventurers who seek strength, wealth, and fame by defeating powerful monsters, the members of these familias boast of their prowess and usually have some of the most powerful adventurers in the city.The Loki and Hestia familia are examplesof such. These kinds of familias emphasize teamwork, physical training, and strategy formation as their primary source of income is the dungeon.
Support And Utility Familias
Not all familias need to defeat monsters to be useful. Support familias are the ones that provide services that everyone requires, such as medical care, information acquisition, and logistics. An example is the Dian Cecht familia specializing in healthcare, saving some adventurers even from the brink of death. There is also the Hermes familia that specializes in information gathering, a factor that makes or breaks missions. They may not be on the front lines, but Orario would fall apart without them.
Merchant Familias
These are the familias that focus majorly on the trade and production of magical items, armor, and weapons. Think of them as shop owners, blacksmiths, and traders that keep the economy of Orario running. For instance, the Hephaestus familia is the go-to familia for weaponry, while the Miach familia is responsible for potions and the like. Even though these familias do not get credit like the adventure-type familias, they are still very necessary.
Entertainment Familias
A city is no good without entertainment facilities, and there are familias for that. These familias are on the more social side of Orario, running everything from taverns to theaters, and keeping the citizens and adventurers entertained. However, their political power should not be underestimated, as they usually have powerful connections in high places. Examples of such familias are the Apollo familia and the Ishtar familia.
Religion Familias
Some gods take their worship seriously, and their familias are more about devotion than adventuring or making money. These familias revolve around religious or spiritual activities, and their followers are usually pretty hardcore about their beliefs. The Soma familia is an example. They are obsessed with a divine drink, Soma, which supposedly brings euphoria. Unfortunately, this obsession causes plenty of problems, turning their familia into a bit of a mess. Whether it is fulfilling spiritual goals or spreading their god’s influence, these familias have a strong sense of purpose that drives them forward.
Significance Of Familias To Orario
Building Blocks Of Orario
Familias are the backbone of Orario’s society. Without familias, Orario may not have become what it is today. Their main importance to Orariolies in Dungeon exploration. Unlike regular adventurers, adventurers in familias can explore the Dungeon much deeper, defeating high-level monsters and clearing more floors. As the Dungeon produces monsters endlessly, this prevents the monsters from reaching the surface, keeping the citizens of Orario safe.
familias also contribute heavily to Orario’s economy. The monsters drop valuable resources, such as magic stones, when defeated. These resources are used to power the city and create weapons and magic items, which boost the country’s trade and innovation, hence improving the economy of Orario and ensuring its survival.
The contributions of familias to the culture of Orario are not to be overlooked. Each familia has its own traditions and values, shaped by their god or goddess. The variations in the ways of the familias bring about a rich and diverse community in Orario, which gives it a vibrant and overall dynamic ambiance. It also fosters loyalty and community within the city. Adventurers often prioritize the goals of their familia over personal gain, contributing to the overall sense of unity in Orario. Additionally, competition among different familias to reach the top of Orario society further strengthens the city as a whole.
DanMachiis available to watch onCrunchyrollandHulu.
Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon?
Based on a light novel series by Fujino Omori, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? is an action-fantasy anime that follows Bell, an initially weak adventurer who is the only member of the Hestia Familia. Looking to become stronger and protect those who matter the most to him, Bell regularly descends the dungeon, a seemingly neverending pit filled with monsters.
