I want one.
Want what? A cracker?
A Kanna.
Huh?
Kobayashi-san Chi No Maid Dragon will saturate you with its moe. It’ll charm or maybe even offend you with its fan service. It’ll amuse you with its spontaneity. Yet none of these things are what make it special. It’s about choosing your own path in life, and discovering what and for whom you should most make time for. With help from a friend, or lover or two.
Young adult nine-to-five office worker Miss Kobayashi naïvely opens her apartment door one morning to find a dragon on her doorstep. After surprisingly not freaking out all that much (Kobayashi is a chill
...
one…), Tohru the dragon takes the form of a young lady and declares she wants to be Kobayashi’s maid. After some initial hesitation, the introverted Kobayashi reluctantly accepts Tohru’s proposal and Tohru moves on in! In this instant, Kobayashi’s mundane life gains fresh purpose.
Tohru fills a void in Miss Kobayashi that she didn’t know existed. Tohru bathes Kobayashi with praise and showers her with lovin’. Her overwhelming affection and attention is not immediately reciprocated, but becomes increasingly appreciated by Kobayashi as she begins to warm up to Tohru and her new lifestyle. For the duo of Tohru and Kobayashi, love and care for the other party outwardly manifests itself at varied pace, exemplifying that friendships and relationships are a two-way street. At times, an emotional burden is placed on the individual who is more invested in the partnership, and at times, the other party feels guilty when they cannot reciprocate the other’s strong feelings. It’s an aspect of reality that Dragon-Maid does well in capturing, amongst the rest of its cast, too.
Did I say duo? Well… because one dragon is never enough, Kanna Kamui soon joins the household and completes the trio. And my god… this young loli dragon may very well be one of the most moe female characters of ALL time! Maria Naganawa’s voice acting can aptly be described as perfection, as the cute curiosity of Kanna Kamui immediately manifests itself through her playful, childlike tone. But Kanna isn’t just for show! She’ll surprise you with her wit and her situational awareness. She is naïve yet wise, caring and honest, complete with adorable mannerisms that’ll touch your heart. Want ONE reason to watch this series? Kanna Kamui. She’s just that special!
Dragon-Maid is self-aware about its intensions, almost bluntly so. It’s like the writer is playing with his audience. Just look at the titles of some of the episodes! Episode 2: Second Dragon, Kanna! (We’re totally spoiling here). Episode 7: Summer’s Staples! (The Fanservice Episode, Frankly). This unabashed nature also takes form in the portrayal of some of the show’s female characters, a.k.a. the fan service, and it can serve to amuse or offend. It can elicit a chuckle by way of the writer’s sheer honesty in his utilization of certain characters like the well-endowed (understatement of the century…) Quetzalcoatl and the constantly under-duress young boy Shouta (fancy a guess as to why he is named Shouta?), or force an audible groan because the same formulaic sleazy “gag” is repeating over and over again. One thing’s for sure: It brings a unique intrigue to the series. It can become a bit tiresome, but take a lighthearted approach and it may nicely “round” out your experience.
Social by nature, us humans want to feel needed, whether we realize it or not. Whether by our families, our pets, our friends, or by, perhaps ...dragons? And we want to do more than fit in with those close to us; we want to find our niche. Our purpose. Our journey began with Kobayashi, Tohru, and Kanna, and continues on with the addition of a few more cast members. As we meet the rest of the dragons, the attention-drawing Quetzalcoatl, the aloof Fafnir, the food-and-work driven Elma, they, too, embark for self-discovery and companionship in heartwarming fashion. Development among these three isn’t necessarily ample, but enough attention is paid to make each of these dragons feel complete. They each embrace human nature and take in the human world in their own way, and construct meaningful lives of their own accord.
The Slice of Life genre is Kyoto Animation’s bread and butter, and it’s no surprise that the production value is high here yet again. The character designs are appealing and delve a bit into each of their personalities, from Elma’s chin-covering scarf to Fafnir’s calmly sinister, blood-red eyes. The fun facial expressions are both humorous and adorable. The world feels vibrant, suitably matched by its light color palate and rich, accordion-filled soundtrack. It’s a nice package, if not quite a spectacle (although the OP certainly is!), and it doesn’t need to be. It’s a fitting canvas for the characters to live out their lives, and it suffices splendidly.
Dragon-Maid is more than it appears on the surface, it’s more than Tohru’s bouncing boobies in the preview, and it’s something to be appreciated. It’s a journey of love, and friendship, and deep, personal bonds, and community, and damn if it doesn’t make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. It’s about living life, and finding a companion or two who allows you to do just that to the fullest.
Heck, we could all use a little more companionship. A little more Tohru and Kanna in our lives. Kanna, especially. I loved her character... Could you tell?
TL;DR: Show up for Kanna. Stay for the quirky humor, controversial fan service, and the heartwarming SOL moments. 9.0/10
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Apr 5, 2017
Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon
(Anime)
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I want one.
Want what? A cracker? A Kanna. Huh? Kobayashi-san Chi No Maid Dragon will saturate you with its moe. It’ll charm or maybe even offend you with its fan service. It’ll amuse you with its spontaneity. Yet none of these things are what make it special. It’s about choosing your own path in life, and discovering what and for whom you should most make time for. With help from a friend, or lover or two. Young adult nine-to-five office worker Miss Kobayashi naïvely opens her apartment door one morning to find a dragon on her doorstep. After surprisingly not freaking out all that much (Kobayashi is a chill ... |
