a review by Artie
Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid is the latest anime from popular Japanese animation studio Kyoto. I’m not very familiar with their work, as a newbie to otaku culture in general, but it seems from what information I’ve gathered from peers and the internet that they’re a very well-regarded studio and plenty of their works have been very well-received, earning them their prestigious reputation. I obviously can’t speak from much experience, but Dragon Maid seems to live up to the expectations a reputation like that would attract in both the animation and writing departments; my hope is to shine a light on all the things I felt Dragon Maid did exceptionally well in its first season, as well as fairly onto those areas I would like to see improved. And boy is there a lot to praise about this show’s rudimentary elements: the animation is distinct (if a little mundane, but more on that later) and movements are fluid; the sound department is good; and the writing is bold, conceptual even, with memorable, relatable, loveable characters. It’s a little unnerving to me that anime doesn’t typically survive past a season of content (a phenomena I might do a research piece on if I have the time), yet I can only hope that Kyoto either follows up this show’s well-received first run of episodes with a second season or someone can hopefully adapt what is to be learned from this show’s successes (and missteps) into their own work.
A DRAGON PRINCESS AND A WORKING GIRL
Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid is a slice-of-life comedy with fantastical elements, and predominantly deals in themes of the fantastical versus the mundane, if it somehow wasn’t clear from the very premise of its existence – dragons from “the other world” have come to coexist with their inferior human counterparts – but it’s the manner in which writer Coolkyoushinja presents and develops this premise that opens the door to some incredibly poignant character writing and narrative depth. Nowhere is that more present than in its central relationship between the titular Kobayashi and powerful dragon Tohru. Even the initial meeting of these two figures is ripe with character, as it begins when Kobayashi seeks escape from a day of (mostly) bottled-up pressure at work – the typical story of an overworked woman underappreciated by her boss. But you see, Kobayashi isn’t your typical story of this cliché at all, as she is remarkably comfortable in living this life, as we will see throughout the series; she is a matured woman who has gained experience enough to be a critical part of her job firm, and she is happy doing what she does even though she isn’t her own boss or very lauded as someone working under other people’s names. This type of stagnant behavior in a typically progressive mindset in media is explored in awe by some of the dragons Kobayashi comes across throughout the series, and likely by the audience as well since it is so remarkably unremarkable by television standards. But more on the simple boldness of Kobayashi’s character in a paragraph farther down in the review; Kobayashi, this delightfully content average functioning single woman in society, gets drunk out of her mind after a harsh day at work, and in a hilarious complacency to fate (“That’s my stop!” she laughs out of her mind clutching her bottle of beer as she accidentally forgets to get off the bus from drunkenness. “Where am I going now?”) ends up lost in the mountains where she meets the all-powerful Tohru for the first time. Before I move on I simply cannot go without praising this kind of character consistency, with minor character traits reflecting their actions so subtly they’d fly over the average viewer’s head; it just blows my mind noticing this stuff and makes it absolutely fun as hell reviewing art as a hobby. The voice acting for Kobayashi (Mutsami Tamura) sells these scenes too, both the laugh-out-loud hilarious and the dramatic. But I can’t go on praising Kobayashi’s character for too damn long or I’ll end up just copying Digibro’s (fantastic) 17-minute video doing just that (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uejsTnvmudY); please check that out if you want to watch more gushing over just how grounded Kobayashi’s character feels, it’s really great, and plus I want to get to Tohru. Tohru is basically a princess, the daughter of an Emperor of Demise in the dragon world, who coincidentally finds herself in the mountains near human populations dying from a sword thrust deep into her by the gods (it isn’t explained exactly what beef she got into with them but knowing Tohru’s circumstances it probably erupted from her need for companionship that drew her to Kobayashi in the first place). Tohru doesn’t expect much from Kobayashi, and dragons in general hate humanity’s guts and constantly have to convince themselves or be convinced not to exterminate the entire race (which they could probably do in a heartbeat), but is surprised that Kobayashi not only pulls the sword out of Tohru in a drunken feat of strength, but also offers to sit down and talk with her. The two end up bonding over loneliness, confusion about one’s destiny… the typical woes of those living alone, but the conversation, and the show, is so significant because it’s between (wo)man and a friggin’ dragon. This brings me to point out another one of the major themes of the show: the emotions that somehow connect us all together, knowing no bounds, not just across stupid meager human races, but species (following the logic of this animation at least). It’s an exciting prospect. This show would not be as successful if this central relationship were not so engaging to watch grow as the two reveal more of themselves to each other and learn to cohabitate, and as symbols they are very interesting to talk about.
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DEPTH IN SOFTCORE ROMANCE
You know what also knows no bounds in this anime? Love. And not just any love; yuri love. But hold your horses if you aren’t into lesbian shit (like I) and think this is a paragraph (or anime) for you to gloss over, because Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid handles yuri love in two very, very interesting ways I assure you. The first way is between the aforementioned Kobayashi and Tohru…
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HOLD ON. I SAID, “HOLD ON.” DON’T GO ANYWHERE. Trust me, this yuri relationship is one that you do not want to miss, which is kind of weird saying because it’s one that’s pretty easy to miss. Now I’m not on some conspiracy shit making up some fucken ship between two characters I’m addicted to; this is an actual “sexual, not just romantic” (to quote the anime itself) relationship that is engrained into the very script of the anime (a.k.a. it’s canon). So what makes this relationship so elusive then? Well, for starters, it’s an unrequited relationship. Tohru, after the two girls had their fun-night-out on the mountains, fell in love with Kobayashi, which is explicitly stated by her to Kobayashi herself and those close to them multiple times. It’s actually very remarkable how such intense emotional drama is hidden away into jokes in this show, since I think all the times Kobayashi mentions her crush the background turns into some bright color, Tohru strikes a ridiculous pose, a tiny Kobayashi pops up in the corner with the poker face expression, and I ended up laughing it off like it was just some stupid dragon thing. It’s also very remarkable that this admittedly narrow-minded behavior from me is fucking CONTRASTED to the way Kobayashi perceives the information – she doesn’t know how to respond, but she approaches it like any other problem in her life… slowly, calculating, and grounded. Kobayashi and Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid treats characters and their desires with respect, which is why I have to say that this relationship, even if it isn’t even requited, is so damn powerful. It’s all the more powerful when the two of them confront their issues even after understanding one another’s perspectives on the relationship, since the two of them live together, even though this romance thing isn’t even the central theme of the show. While Tohru’s love never explicitly wavers for Kobayashi, it is interesting to note that in Episode 7 her love was “reconfirmed”, implying it did have its hiccups; her arc consists of her coming to terms with her time spent (as a dragon who will live for thousands of years more than her human friends) and it is interesting that it’s at an otaku festival that she decides upon the importance of “this place and this time”.
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The other yuri relationship I want to analyze and discuss is that between Kanna and Saikawa, which is even more awkward trying to talk about (if you can believe that) because it’s between two third-graders. Kanna is a young dragon exiled from the dragon world after pulling a bad prank, and ends up being the surrogate child of Tohru and Kobayashi. She obviously doesn’t need school, but she and Kobayashi choose for her to go in order for her to better integrate into and understand human society firsthand. Saikawa is the sole classmate that (initially) openly doesn’t want to gawk over Kanna, not because she doesn’t like her, but because she’s “so cute, it ticks [her] off and [she] wants to hug [her].” But… after some strategic(?) crying on Kanna’s part, the two end up becoming best friends. Kanna and Saikawa’s relationship is probably the most confusing one in Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, since there doesn’t seem to be any inh*erent *reason for Kanna to want to hang around Saikawa. The most suggestive idea is that Kanna likes Saikawa just as sexually as Tohru does Kobayashi (okay, maaaaaybe not so sexually as to lick her laundry), which I mean I guess that snobby attitude and shiny ass forehead is pretty cute (*gets arrested*).
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However, Kanna is so subtle about whether this is the case that it’s difficult to pin actually what she plans to actually do with Saikawa. The sexual tension (believably there is some between two grade schoolers) is piqued in Episode 6 where there’s open legs, blushing, direct physical contact, and perhaps even a legitimate sexual advance from Kanna that is only interfered by the adults’ shenanigans. After this scene, when the two are separated, Saikawa wonders what Kanna wanted to do to her, showing her sexual obliviousness, and on Kanna’s side she says aloud to herself “I wanted to…” Unfortunately, the damn sentence is never finished, because Coolkyohshinja wants the audience to leave it to their imaginations… These scenes show a few things that struck me for analysis: for one, Kanna clearly is an example of a lone-wolf foreigner who has no idea how to behave in these social situations and who had to mature fast in her world which is constantly riddled with war; but what does this portrayal and interactions of forbidden love actually say about anything? What does it mean morally? After a lot of hard thought, I honestly can’t give a straight answer, because it doesn’t seem like the show pushes any perspective too much. Sure, the show’s obviously campy tone strongly suggests that love and understanding triumph in the end, but I never felt as though this was beaten into my head. I think this show is incredibly bold for implementing such controversial relationships into its plot (superficially controversial I guess, since I think the anime community can be pretty accepting/weirdly infatuated with this stuff). Kanna is a very interesting character to try and dissect as another fantastical foreign entity in our mundane human world, and it’s intriguing that this show not only portrays the comedy and absurdity that can result but also the awkwardness and/in emotional connections that can form. But also (on a less serious note) it’s still kinda cute because it’s just some kids fooling around (and the voice acting nails the art of tension build-and-release). The other reason I can propose for perhaps why Kanna likes hanging with Saikawa is simply an emotionless attraction to the pure human ego, which Saikawa radiates. I think also Kanna might perceive Saikawa’s crush on her and soaks in the infatuation on an unrequited level. I suppose the implication is that the answer is somewhat of a compromise between these motives behind the friendship, since beyond speculation there’s not much to suggest Kanna’s “real” reasons for maintaining the relationship; certainly the relationship has changed Kanna, and maybe that’s more important to note than any incentives fueling her interest. Somehow the yuri love is refreshingly not drenched in fantasy, ironically since this show has so many other fantastical elements.
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There is one more romance thing going on in the show, which is that between ex-goddess Lucoa and the boy mage Shouta, but I don’t want to talk about it not only because it’s between an adult and a minor but also because it’s severely underdeveloped. Lucoa is a severely underdeveloped character and both her and this relationship are only progressed a smidge in Episode 12 and never anywhere else. It’s really just played for cheap fan service and (hopefully for other people, since I thought it was pretty underwhelming both in the comedic sense and dramatically) laughs, which is a shame since I really did expect more from her arc; she was introduced mysteriously as a wise friend for Tohru but ended up being more breasts than actual character. The introduction of mages seems like it would be hugely impactful, but after it’s brought up once it literally never comes back again. Overall though, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid doesn’t do too badly with managing its side characters; usually all of them link back to the main themes, and while I can’t say they’re all that memorable they do work as narrative devices.
ANIMATE SENSATION
I think it’s incredibly fitting that in the lavish opening and closing themes (complete with strings, backup singers, maybe even a vocoder, and different movements) for this show, the one English-sounding word my non-Japanese-accustomed ears can understand is “communication”, since this show is so damn consistent with its animation and getting ideas across. I can think of two places early on that I will use to support my argument that the animation is consistent in this show: in the first episode, when Kobayashi takes stomach medicine to ease the pain in her lower back, then leaves, when she returns with Tohru the stomach medicine is still there(!); in the second episode, when Tohru discusses her near-death experience with Kanna, she touches the left side of her body, which is the same side the sword from the gods was inserted, as if remembering the trauma of that event. It’s little touches like these, as well as the overall greatness of the animation, that really makes me interested in seeing Kyoto Animation’s other work. The animation in Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid has great variety, juggling between different styles for impactful cutaways but also creating a distinct look for itself that really makes you enjoy the world of the narrative so much more. I could honestly go on and on just listing jokes from this show and trying to explain how they’re not only funny but also reinforce the ideas I’ve been trying to get at about common ground across different species, or even try diving into the sometimes weird symbolism I found in some episodes, but I won’t. I’ll just leave it at this: the show is very, very creative. I will say that this show is not exempt from falling into the use of running gags, although I feel as though many of them have some development over time or don’t really distract from the rest of the show. Definitely the less interesting gags are the ones for Lucoa and Elma, since they’re not very deep or funny at all; they’re certainly not as interesting as anything from the main cast.
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CLOSING STATEMENTS
There are a few more themes I want to talk about before I finish up this review (I know it’s getting long but there’s really so much content to discuss I feel): first, Kobayashi, Tohru, and Kanna make up for a fantastic case of a “nontraditional family” (in the words of YouTuber Glass Reflection) and I think their characteristics build off of one another to make every episode interesting; in addition, the series only occasionally tackles racism head-on but it is implied as a serious issue to every new problem faced; there are also themes of service as a choice that inflict contemplation upon one’s place in society; lastly, the subject of drinking is one that is very interesting to use this show to refer off of. On one hand there is the traditional view of drinking as a bad habit that makes one lose control of themselves and lead to things like Lucoa’s fall from her goddess status. On the other hand, piggybacking off of an idea Digibro had in that video of his I linked earlier, drinking also provides Kobayashi with not only escape but also helps her more freely express herself. In his own words, it allows for the exposure of “another side of yourself (which is always there)”.
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I wish this conflict was explored more in the anime since it seems so essential, but alas they only had 13 episodes (14 if you count the OVA) and they didn’t (seem to) intend to make things too tightly written. I guess I also feel this way because the individual episodes actually are split up into many sections of varying lengths, and never does a segment feel like it runs on too long; if you’re not a fan of beach episodes for instance, you’ll be pleased to know that only half of the episode where they go to the beach is at the beach. The momentum of the segments is kept up pretty well and doesn’t feel like it’s trying to waste your time. Episodes also do feel connected by a thread, where consequences of previous actions might come back in a later episode; it’s not some insanely intense drama (as I said before the drama masquerades itself as comedy mostly), but it is there to give a feeling of importance. I think the finale does work as a final character development for Kobayashi, despite being a little overblown, but contrasted to the mundanity of the holiday episodes before it made the last leg of the series a little numbing. The visuals and sound are certainly not show-stopping, but I came to identify the mundanity as a stylistic choice that works well with the show’s concept. The show also ends with about half a dozen nerve-wracking unresolved plots (and probably some plotholes too), but I suppose that could be seen inversely as a compliment. Overall, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid is a consistently hilarious, bold, and polished piece from some accomplished people, and, though imperfect, the writing, animation, and sound work together to create a very enjoyable and surprisingly thought-provoking product.
LOOK TO MISS KOBAYASHI’S DRAGON MAID FOR: Absurd comedy, subtle drama, bold themes, lovable characters
DON’T LOOK TO MISS KOBAYASHI’S DRAGON MAID FOR: Strict pacing, a breath of fresh air from clichés, over-the-top visuals and sound
Watch @ https://www.funimation.com/shows/miss-kobayashis-dragon-maid/#videos
AFTERTHOUGHTS AND SHOUTOUTS
I can’t believe I went this entire review without talking about MAIDS and maid culture. Or mentioning Fafnir and Takiya once. Or trying to decipher some of the more intangible symbolism I saw. A lot more I wish I could give space to, but above all else before I finish this review I’m going to shoutout a couple other thinkpieces on this show, some videos some not, whose opinions are interesting enough for me to recommend checking out:
· There’s the Digibro video I linked earlier, but he also has a Part Two which you might want to check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXOdVJILJhg
· There’s this short analysis/review on Kanna and Saikawa’s relationship, and the “ingenuity of [the show’s] pacing”: https://thoughtsthatmove.com/2017/05/02/how-kanna-bridges-the-gap-between-species-miss-kobayashis-dragon-maid/
Without these fellow reviewers and also my peers for pointing me in this direction, I would not have been able to appreciate this anime the way I do now. I hope I have somehow transferred some of that appreciation to you guys.
The next anime I am going to be reviewing is: Fuuka. See y’all then.
Submitted September 03, 2018 at 05:05AM by BeardlessReviews https://ift.tt/2wDWH86
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