Dragon Crisis!

Here be dragons!

One thing can always be certain when it comes to anime these days, and that's the inclusion of at least show about anthropomorphised creatures of some sort every season. Many people will already be familiar with humanoid cats, foxes, dogs, etc, and with the "popularity" of the types of anime that normally include such characters, it's somewhat surprising to find dragons thrown into the mix.

Now this isn't a new thing, especially as these giant fire breathing lizards have appeared in works of fiction for many, many years (and it's even longer when we start talking mythology - but we won't go there). From ... tales of steel clad warriors going toe to toe with something that sees them as canned food, to the stylings of Anne McCaffrey's Dragons of Pern series where humans live and work with the creatures, dragons have long been a source of inspiration, fear, admiration, majesty, and many other things besides.

But aside from their appearances in certain anime, nobody has ever called them cute (or tsundere - more on that later).

Dragon Crisis is, first and foremost, a light novel series by Kizaki Kaya that spans eleven volumes, all of which have been published under Shueisha's Super Dash Bunko line, and as with any reasonably popular written work, it was earmarked for an anime adaptation, this time by Studio DEEN.

Oh goody. More adaptations.

The story is about Kisaragi Ryuuji, a seemingly normal high school boy whose life is suddenly thrown sideways by the return of his treasure seeking cousin Nanao Eriko. She persuades him to join her on her latest venture, but things don't turn out the way she plans when instead of treasure, they find a girl in a suitcase.

Throw into this various other anthropomorphic beings (generally female), magical treasures called Lost Precious, and a very familiar comedy angle and what do you have?

That's right. It's another supernatural harem romantic comedy.

The main issue with the Dragon Crisis is the lack of explanations. There are any number of interesting aspects to the story that really could have been expounded upon, but in the typical manner that is common these days the viewer is expected to simply sit there, accept what they're given, and not want for anything better. The lack of any real detail about The Society, dragons and the Lost Precious puts a strain on the storyline that becomes more pronounced as matters progress.

That said, the plot is actually paced reasonably well, but that's simply based on the even scattering of tokens throughout the series (usually one per episode), and it's pretty clear that a great deal of thought wasn't expended on making the story interesting. Instead Dragon Crisis relies on stereotypical comedy and the generic methodologies applied to almost every other harem rom-com in an effort to move things along, and because of all of this the whole show is about as predictable as the sunrise.

Visually the series isn't bad, but it's not brilliant either. The reliance on generic character types is very obvious from the get-go as it's not something that can really be hidden by changing clothes (or school uniforms), hairstyles and eye colours. That said, the characters are emotive to a degree, and it's nice to see that efforts have been made to allow a bit more expression that one might initially expect from this type of show.

Sadly the typical anime reliance on the European style dragon once again rears its head, and this time they're coloured (which brings into question the issue of dragon racism, but that's a matter for another time).

On the plus side the series features some nicely detailed backgrounds that, although somewhat generic, are also rather appealing. In addition to this there are some well choreographed and interesting CG effects that give the action sequences that little bit more flair, and the quality of the animation is stays at a pretty decent level over the course of the show.

When it comes to music, Dragon Crisis has a range of tracks on offer to suit almost every occasion, from foreboding techno beats to melodic piano pieces, and there are also some rather nice audio effects throughout the series. Unfortunately there are occasions when the two clash, and although the timing is pretty good, this isn't enough to salvage the resulting cacophony.

The opening theme, Immoralist by Horie Yui (who plays the role of Maruga or Margerite, whichever you prefer), is a rather dramatic J-Pop number with martial overtones that feels a little out of place with the concept of Dragon Crisis. As for the ending theme, Mirai Bowl by Momoiro Clover, this rather more playful piece also doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the anime, but that may be due to the rather whimsical beginning to the song.

So, on to the acting, and oh look! It's Kugumiya Rie playing yet another clone of Louise/Shana/Taiga, except this time her role is far less tsundere so hopefully the industry will stop typecasting her at some point. Even with that though, she is able to inject a likeability into the character of Rose that is nice to see. Shimono Hiro and Yukana also play their respective roles (Ryuuji and Eriko), passing well, and while the overall series may be tediously generic in many aspects, it's nice to see the seiyuu still working hard to deliver some decent performances.

The unfortunate part is that there's only so much a voice actor/actress can do in certain situations, and this is one of them.

The reliance on genericism severely stunts the characters in certain fundamental ways that prevent even the best seiyuu from delivering a stellar performance, and while part of the problem stems from the anime, the majority of it comes from the source material itself. The simple fact is that each character is designed to deliver a specific plot token into the story, and this makes them objects rather than people. Because of this there is the appearance of development over the course of the series, but in truth this is nothing more than a veneer that covers some truly lazy characterisation. That said, Dragon Crisis does feature some diverting interactions and relationships, and while there is little in the way of real growth, the series does maintain a degree of enjoyability due the inoffensive nature of the characters.

One thing that is a little puzzling though, is the decidedly human nature of the dragons themselves. While this could easily be explained away by stating that they're anthropomorphic creatures who have lived alongside humans and adopted their personality traits, this information has to be extrapolated by the viewer, and this brings up the issue of why they have to act like humans. It would have been far more interesting to see humans and dragons learning to cope with the problems presented by modern day society from the perspective of the dragons. Likewise the prospect of watching the characters adapt to the daily problems faced by each species would have offered some completely different insights, yet still left room for situational comedy.

Dragon Crisis offers little in the way of innovation, but that's pretty much expected from supernatural harem rom-coms these days. While the original concept may have been interesting enough in the beginning the execution leaves a lot to be desired, and there's a mechanical feel to the show due to the "fill in the blanks" approach to the story, and the fact that this is essentially a "production by numbers" (hence Kugimiya Rie in a typecast role).

The series does have its good points, and there are some enjoyable moments to see, but ultimately Dragon Crisis is yet another example of a wasted opportunity, only this time its not the fault of the anime as the source material is to blame.

Dragon Crisis! is a below average to borderline horrible action harem anime that has been done dozens of times before, and done much better. I continue to be perplexed why tripe like this continues to sell and gets made into anime. And I thought Hollywood had hit the bottom of the barrel when it comes to creativity and originality.

The story concept for Dragon Crisis! has been repeated ad nauseum. An ordinary school boy with average looks and the personality of an anvil is suddenly thrust into a secret world of the supernatural including, as the title suggests, dragons. Of course ... most of the dragons just happen to be cute girls who naturally flock to the harem of our slack lipped leading man. The plot is virtually nonexistent since the writer seems to have decided to forgo anything resembling a story in order to load up the cast with every type of stereotypical character imaginable. Instead we are inundated with obscure and nonsensical terminology such as "Lost Precious", "Level 10 Breaker", and "Engage".

What little story it does have mostly falls flat on its face. Red Dragon and loli Rose really loves Ryuuji and shows her affections in a very open and honest way, like a child. It actually manages to be both kind of sweet and creepy all at once. Ryuuji, like any red blooded Japanese boy maintains his puritanical values and attempts, unsuccessfully, to fend off all those cooties carrying girls who throw themselves at him. However because just about every episode introduces a new character, the cast becomes bogged down with characters making the execution of any kind of serious story impossible. What we do end up with has all the sophistication of an elementary school creative writing project.

Much like the shows concept, none of the characters are all that special either. They conform to basic harem archetypes and rarely, if ever, deviate from them. A few of them might just be remarkable for how dull pointless they actually are. Probably the best example of this would be Misaki, Ryuuji's shy secret admirer. She is utterly a waste of the art materials, man hours, and computer time necessary to bring her to the screen. She contributes nothing of value. She has no powers and is just an ordinary human and she basically seems to only be in the cast because the "How To Make a Harem Anime" playbook calls for her type to be included. The only positives amongst the characters, I suppose, would be Ai and Eriko. Though it certainly isn't because of any originality on their parts. It's only because they happen to come across as the most fun and enjoyable characters in the show.

What Dragon Crisis! does do exceptionally well is its music. Yui Horie's "Immoralist" OP is really a great upbeat and exciting table setter for the show. The real shame that the feelings and action displayed in the OP do not really materialize within the show itself. Overall though I think this is easily the best song from any of the anime from the Winter '11 season. On the flip side, the ED "Mirai Bowl" is a playful and naughty and at first glance seems out of place for this anime. It features extreme chibi abuse, which raises it up in my favorability rating but it’s just so damn cute and adorable that I really looked forward to seeing it each week. Of course this also meant the episode was over, which might have contributed to me liking it so much.

The seiyuu cast is also very strong and chalk full of talented actors. They are mostly wasted on this and none of their performances are really memorable enough to worth mentioning. However it should be noted that this is yet again another loli role for veteran Rie Kugimiya. I honestly love Kugimiya to death as an actress but it is really quite distressing to see her continue to be pigeonholed as the same damn character repeatedly either through her own poor judgment or from studio typecasting. Though her role as Rose is not your typical loli tsundere per see, it certainly would be nice to see her try to expand her range a bit. Honestly the been there, done that nature of her performance is one of the reasons this anime comes across as so lame and uninspired.

When you get right down to it my entire experience with Dragon Crisis! was neither good nor bad. A viewer is as unlikely to really hate it as he is unlikely to love it. One can certainly do better, so unless you simply must see every anime about dragons you would be advised to give this one a pass and watch something better.

Dragon Crisis Review Version 2 (UPDATE)

Here comes another harem anime! Now including dragons!

Ok so the main theme here is about Forbiden love between Humans and Dragons.. Right... Incest and Bestiality.... The two most common theme in anime... Oh how I love you Japan... (Oh and I;m not mentioning BL as forbidden love because otherwise a bunch of fangirls will come after me)

So yeah, the story is about Dragons, lost precious (which are treasures) and of course harem. Boy meets dragon girl, dragon girl gets kidnapped by another dragon, guy comes rescuing girl, bad guy mysteriously disappear. All of that in the first three episodes! ... Not to mention, an above average combat sequence so yeah Im not complaining.

Now, the plus point in my book about this anime is that they both expressed their love for each other early in the series so yeah we wont have to deal with one of those dense male harem leads and you can expect more progress in their relationship. Oh wait? You didnt want any spoilers? You didnt wanted to know that Ryuuji loves Rose and the feelings mutual eventhough it's pretty obvious that will happen eventually? Well my sincerest apologies.

I mean c'mon, they get stronger by holding hands and say "Engage" This reminds me of Kanokon where the male and female lead fuse with each other to create one imbalanced super powered hero.

Art and Sound are slightly above average. I do not get tears in my eyes nor do I get eargasm when I watch the anime.

It's as enjoyable to watch a harem anime as watching your mac and cheese in the microwave (Now dont get me wrong, THATS IS AWESEOME! Or it just doesn't take much to impress me) How can you not like repetitiveness?
I also love watching different variety dragons (Kinda reminds me of that movie, How to train your dragon, only the characters are more hygienic) and the dragons are in humanoid form and can talk too. Rose picked up how to talk like us by just watching a bunch of shows from the tele. Isn't that how we all learn to speak when we were kids?

If any of you like "The Legend about Legend of Legends of Legendary Heroes.. Legend..." (Im not sure If I got the title right?) then you would probably like this one because it has the same treasure hunting theme only it's called "Lost Precious"
And by "Lost Precious" if you're thinking about that old stuffed bunny you had when you're a kid, it's pretty obvious your mum threw it out when your were 3 because it started to stink up the house. Wait? You didn't want spoilers on that too?? WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!

So overall..
You want Harem?? Yes we CAN!!
You want super powers?? Yes we CAN!!
You want hot relatives?? Yes we CAN!!
You want forbidden love?? Yes we CAN!!
You want metrosexual villains?? Yes we CAN!!
You want your old stuff bunny?? Dude.. Get over it.. I told you.. It's gone for good. So why don't you just get one of those Japanese body-pillow girlfriends.

I didn't like this show and I wouldn't want anyone to waste his/her precious time watching this. So that's why im going to review it, hopefully I'll save someone before it's too late. I'll try to be brief too.

"Dragon Crisis!"
Judjing from the title, you would think "This is going to be an exciting show, full of epic battles, firebreath, swords and flying beasts".... Think again.
If i could summarize this show in one word, it's would probably be "Dissapointing", and I'm going to tell you why, but let's start with the few good things this show has.

The Good

Art/Animation
The char designs are very well done, the backgrounds ... are detailed, everything looks great, the eyes are beautiful, the effects look awesome and the movement is very fluid and natural. That's it, sadly.

The Worst

The Plot
It starts quite good: Young boy (Ryouji) with unparalelled potential to use ancient relics, teams up with his sexy treasure hunting cousin, and loli millenary Dragon Queen in a journey full of mystic artifacts and epic fights (most likely involving dragons). Yeah, that would have been great,too bad that doesn't last more than one or two episodes.
Soon, what started as an "Action anime with romantic comic relief" turns into "Generic Harem (poorly done), with some short fights once in a while".
After all the "Heroines" (girls who have a romantic interest in the male lead) are intrudced, the original plot is put on hold, and replaced by filler episodes ment to create oportunities for the Heroines to show and/or develop feelings for Ryouji.

I mean, seriously, over 5 fillers in a 12 episode show?. No thanks.

The Characters
I'm not going to go into details, but at least let me tell you this: They are as generic as they can get. Dull and predictable are their most outstanding features. You could guess everything about them, just by looking at the official poster. It's a shame that you will never be shocked by the character's actions or speech.

So, In My Humble Oppinion:
*If you are looking for an action/adventure show, Dragon Crisis doesn't have enough fights.
* If you are looking for a comedy harem show, Dragon Crisis isn't funny enough.
* If you are looking for a drama harem show, Dragon Crisis isn't serious or intresting enough.

* If you are looking for a show with undefined plot and "mass produced" characters, Dragon Crisis might just be what you are looking for.

I wish that you found the information you were looking for in this review.

Ah, Dragon Crisis. The title is a little strange considering the fact that the phrase itself is only used once in the series, and it's never really explained when mentioned. For me to find an anime about anthropomorphic human-like people usually means that I'll watch it, to some extent. Whatever the case, onto the review.

Story (6.47/10): Story...isn't exactly Dragon Crisis's strong suit. The beginning is very Angel Beats-esque, where the audience, and the main character are thrown into these set of circumstances without any explanation whatsoever for the sake of moving the plot. Usually, unless there's the mystery element to ... the story that the main character tries to find out, I will drop it without hesitation. (Good exposition is something I like) Though it was a bit strange to be thrown into this random scenario, I was still rather intrigued, and still continued watching.

As the series went on, however, I felt that it was really arc heavy. The 12 episode run is very clearly split into separate arcs, that detail the main character, Ryuuji, helping out random girls that he literally just met, only to have them be sucked into his mini harem by the end of the series. It was kind of awkward for me to watch, and it felt quite side-story like, seeing as how the series immediately jumped to a new idea, and even new characters, making the old ones drop off the face of the earth. (For a few episodes that is.)

The story in the end was still somewhat generic, with the anthropomorphic twist on some of the girls, leading up to a really, really, really cheesy ending that you may like, if you're into that kind of thing. Overall, the story of Dragon Crisis was watchable, at the very least. It's not extraordinary by any means, but it is a good in its own way, like Dog days.

Character (5.87/10): Character development is a key factor for an anime's success. Without proper development of the characters, with good pacing, the anime can fall flat on its face without a second's notice. The characters weren't bad, but they weren't fantastic.

Ryuuji, our main protagonist, is our run of the mill, nice guy, overpowered main protagonist character, who meets a young girl via coming out of a suitcase, (yes, you read that right), and promptly takes care of her by basically raising her as his daughter, sort of. While he does have some redeeming qualities, such as getting the most possible development in this show, as well as being the main protagonist, I find him rather dull and lacking. He doesn't really seem to have a personality of his own, rather, gets influenced by people around him to get sucked into the situations he ends up in, like contemplating shit at the end of the series for what he's done. We've all seen this kind of anime troupe before, so there's not really much to explain beyond that.

Rose, as the aforementioned Dragon, of this series, is...a child. That's really all I need to say. She loves Ryuuji, (way too obviously expressed), and that's pretty much it for about 9 or so episodes. Towards the end, however, she gets this sort of, what I feel, unneeded development through some magical bullshit, that makes the show kind of stupid towards the end. Though I personally liked Rose's character due to how adorable and awesome she could be at times, I wasn't fully happy with how she herself turned out over the course of the series.

The side character cast is filled to the brim with overused troupes that I could go on and on about. (like right now). Let's see...comic relief/best friend character, big breasted fanservice, the shy girl, the shy girl's best friend that tries to hook up said shy girl with main character, the crazy scientist, the tsundere girl who's also a fox (My personal favorite), overly flamboyant looking main antagonist, and the parents that seems to never exist. None of these characters get any development whatsoever, and some of them appear so late, that I even question why they were implemented in the first place. (There's even one guy that's like a marvel villain rip-off. WTF Japan?)

Art and Sound (7.48/10): The art itself is pretty pleasing to look at, actually. It's quite clear what style they were going for, and it's easy to distinguish who is what race in this series. I quite enjoyed it, since none of the characters looked particularly bad, and none of the animation was jarring to look at. Actually, the fight scenes looked pretty good and fluid. (Especially when mystical, dragon energy is involved.)

The sound is actually pretty good. The OP was a rather interesting sounding one, starting off as a generic shounen song, with these really quiet and soft parts that actually made it somewhat worth listening to. It wasn't the greatest song the world, but it was quite enjoyable to watch and listen to. The ED was the OP's contrast, featuring a rather bubbly song that I felt didn't fit in all too well with the show's idea. It was good, but it felt a little weird. The mood fillers of the series were actually somewhat good, as they sounded like some effort was put into it.

Personal Enjoyment (6.46/10): With the combination of a somewhat generic, arcic story, generic characters, and above average music and art, all combined with Rie's role as Rose, (I'm sure the majority of people are familiar with her work), Dragon Crisis was a mix of fun and confusion. They didn't really explain the supernatural part of the show too well, as the idea of the "Lost Precious's" weren't explained too in-depth as I would've wanted it to be in. There was also a backstory that was mentioned MANY times throughout the series, that never seemed to get any explanation, which really was a big put-off, since the series already didn't explain much of anything. Massive story holes aside, Dragon Crisis was an interesting enough show for me to keep watching, and I was entertained while watching this, so it does get a plus for that. By no means is this a show everyone must watch, god no, but it does help kill time when you want it to. Besides, a fire dragon with blonde hair, in the body of what looks to be a 10 year old, kicking ass? What's not to love?

Overall Score: 6.75/10

Throughout mythology, dragons are depicted as fantastic creatures whose significance dwarfs that of the mortal human. These dragons represent strength, power, and any other virtues a biker gang with dragon tattoos would respect. Dragon Crisis introduces a new type of dragon: dragons that are cute and loli and scream, "suki" and "Ryuuji" over and over again; the moe dragon.

That's right: the MOE dragon.
Can dragons be moe? Yes they can, but only while in their human form (or unless there are fringe fetishes that I dare not dabble in.)

Meet Dragon Crisis, an anime which casts Kugimiya Rie as Rose, a character who is *gasp* ... NOT a tsundere. But fans who found Louise particularly annoying should NOT relax just yet, since Kugimiya Rie uses her most loli voice yet, twice as loli as Louise. On top of that, Rose spends a good portion of episode 1 not being able to say anything other than the word "Ryuuji," which becomes tiresome to hear very quickly, even for fans. Beware of the word "suki" as well. Make no mistake; I love Kugi, but I also know that she's not liked universally.

Once Kugimiya Rie's voice has been addressed, Dragon Crisis turns into a rather enjoyable anime to watch.

In a modern world filled rare monsters that can take human form, there are magically imbued items known as "Lost Precious" which demonstrate mysterious powers, and are treated like dinosaur bones by collectors. Those who can wield such "Lost Precious" are known as "Breakers." The "Breakers" have formed a sort of guild known as the "Association", and it also acts to regulate the collection and distribution of "Lost Precious"

Enter our protagonist Ryuuji, a lonely high school boy who was living alone until his cousin Eriko steps in. Ryuuji is kidnapped and coerced into assisting his cousin in stealing a large briefcase from a black organization known as "Fang". With the help of Eriko's Lost precious, they manage to successfully steal the briefcase, and from here it's obvious what comes out.

The story so far has been episodic with no overarching plot. Each character is given two or three episodes in which to develop, and then the story moves on to the next character. The arcs begin with comedic/set-up episode, and end with a rising action/conclusion episode. The story mainly focuses on character, and so the comedy and the ecchi scenes have been rather light. Action and dramatic scenes seem a bit forced at times, and the battles are smooth yet could use a bit more blood.

Dragon Crisis suffers from the same character development issues as Kami nomi, mainly the girl-of-the-week plot format. The characters are well fleshed out within their own individual arcs, but once their story is resolved, they disappear, never to be seen again. Rose, although present in all the episodes, gets pushed to the sidelines once her arc finishes, and simply remains as Ryuuji's lover. The most well developed character in this Ryuuji himself, as he slowly pulls himself out of his isolated shell and begins to accept both Lost Precious and his ability as a Breaker to use them.

Ryuuji unfortunately also suffers from the same dysfunction that many male leads in anime suffer from these days; being a weak character. Not weak as in poorly developed, but actually physically weak and reliant on many of the bodacious females around him. Ryuuji is supposed to be a "Level 10 Breaker" and that there are only seven of such high level breakers in the world. With that kind of exclusivity, one would expect Ryuuji to be able to mow down his opponents like the Level 5s in Academy City can; he does not. His seemingly overwhelming strength is either overrated or still in latent form, and he has been reliant on Rose's powers to get him through most of his problems.

The animation quality is up to par with current anime standards, special care and detail was put into backgrounds, trees, and special effects from Lost Precious. The battles sometimes tries to make use of dynamic camera movement, but perhaps due to budget restrictions, those scenes end up looking rough and choppy. The color palette is a little on the pale side but other than that the animation is quite solid. The character design seem a little off at first, particularly the eyes, which seem slightly too big. Other than that, the character are varied and diverse, one of them is even heterochromatic.

The opening theme is rather unique sounding and memorable for this type of anime. I particularly liked the BGM I refer to as "Eriko's theme," which was played when Eriko was first introduced. The sound is jazzy, classy, with a hint of sass perfect for Eriko's character, a well chosen track indeed. The ending theme was a circus-y song featuring chibi Eriko dancing (which is good) while shots of our heroines in swimsuits flash in the background (which is great), until the pace changed and suddenly all our heroines were dancing chibi style (which is also good).

First and foremost, the ability to enjoy this anime is highly dependent on the viewer's ability to withstand Kugimiya Rie's overly loli voice. Once that has been cleared, one must accept that this anime is character driven. There are no Eragon-style dragon battles (yet), so the action is lacking compared to most shounen. But given that this a short, 12 episode series, it does a pretty good job of entertaining the viewer.

Questions, comments, criticisms and compliments are welcomed whether you found this review helpful or not.

First episode review:

What seemed to be another harem surprised me by actually being interesting.
First thing i have to say is that the plot moves fast, this is a good thing as it keeps getting more exciting. Gunfights, magic (well i guess this is an exception) and car chases are not typical for a first episode of Harem so this will keep you on your toes. (Side note: its very refreshing to see an anime without a tsundere character, originality hells yea.) I dont want to give any surprises away but long story shot, boy meets girl, and another girl, and a third who i apparently ... a dragon with an unhealthy obsession for him.

Summary:
This is without a doubt worth a watch this season as its exciting, funny, fairly original, and surprisingly endearing.

I don't quite understand why people rate this (and every other series) down just because it doesn't have an "original" story. People don't seem to understand that making an original story is impossible anymore, everything has been done already.

The storyline in general was great but it left a lot of open holes, and it proceeded a bit too fast if you ask me. Also I don't like it when the fights are based on one special skill and when that's used the battle is over and the results are obvious. Even though I love seeing clichés and going through general storylines with different settings, basing ... all the fights around one ability that is unbeatable is just plain boring if you ask me.

The artwork was fantastic if you ask me. I really can't give any complaints about that.

Sound? Well, I didn't really pay attention to the sound effects, but OST was great and I totally loved the voice actors.

For the characters, I think they should have given more screentime for some of the supporting characters. I often prefer the supporting characters more than the main characters in most of the series'. As for this series too. Bianca was my favorite character in this series, with Rose being the close second. I really think they did a good job with the voice actors too, they gave perfect voices for the characters!

For overall enjoyment I have nothing else to complain about except for the battles. The series would have been better off without them.

Well, I must say, while this anime isn't a masterpiece I feel it deserves better than it's getting. Also... this is going to be my first review so forgive me if it's not that great XD.

First things first, I'm going to try to keep this short. Second, I will refrain from any spoilers. Third... I loved this anime. While the situations and characters may not be the most original, they work, and because of this they make a truly enjoyable viewing experience.

Story 6/10
It's been mentioned by other reviewers and I'm going to mention it again, If you want explanations and depth this is not your ... anime. Throughout the anime you will often be left to your own devices when thinking through certain aspects; however, don't worry, this is an easy anime to follow.
Art 8/10
It's not the best, and they could certainly have sped up the characters and pacing in the action scenes, but it's not bad. I'm a bit of a stickler for art but i wont abandon an anime for it. Luckily that's not an issue here, as i stated previously its nothing to marvel at but I seriously can't imagine anyone dropping this because of it.
Sound 7/10
If I will hold anything against this anime it will be the sound. While it isn't bad in it's own right they could have chosen better. The OP/ED are not terrible but I question their use for this anime. I normally forget about/ignore the music during an anime as it blends into the background and feels like a part of the scene; however, throughout this anime there were several times when I couldn't help but listen to the background music and think, "Wow, I mean, it's not like it's bad, and it still (kind of) fits the mood, but, seriously? could they not find something better?".
Character 7/10
Very little character development, I get the feeling reading the original light novels would be a much more fulfilling experience. As i stated in the beginning depth is not a terribly strong point here. Cliche characters meet Cliche events, to an extent. Even saying this thought I have to admit, they did a good job developing their separate personalities. Given more episodes I believe they could have done something truly amazing with this anime if they had been willing/had the time to devote to creating depth in a lighthearted anime. On the plus side the male protagonist isn't a completely clueless dunce that bludgeons his way through social situations :D.
Enjoyment 10/10
This is a lighthearted anime through and through. I love harems, I love comedy, and I love characters I can get behind. While there are times *cough* the last episode's "engage" animation *cough* it appears cheesy or cliche they still do a good job. And if there is one thing I love (as another reviewer I've read has put it) it's watching my ships set sail. I love harem's but if there is one thing I love more it's an ending that leaves you with a conclusion. While a stickler may still argue the point I would say it's pretty damn obvious who ends up with who. While the premise is original the characters and the situations are not. Don't let this dissuade you though as every episode manages to bring something to the table to keep your attention and while it may not be the most original it is certainly worth watching.
Overall 8/10
If you are looking for a lighthearted comedy/romance/harem anime that can grab your attention and won't leave you feeling like you just wasted part of your life, look no further!

Whenever a new season rolls around I'm sure many of us go over a chart or list to see what series are coming out. While performing this seasonal task I'm sure there are a number of us that came across Dragon Crisis. Being a series that I've never heard of, I didn't know what to expect (other then the fact there were going to be dragons)

Our main protagonist, Ryuuji seems like another average teenager attending highschool but there is more than that. It turns out that he is a level 10 "breaker" which is pretty strong considering it is the highest level there is. ... Soon after, Ryuuji's cousin, Eriko randomly comes in and takes Ryuuji away to steal a briefcase from this organization. As the two are being pursued, the briefcase opens and a red dragon, Rose comes out, and from here the adventures begin.

Dragon Crisis does not follow one story, instead we are given many different stories which focus on a certain character, which seems pretty common these days. However the problem I find with this is that after each story is done, the character that it focused on would just move to the background making it feel like the story that was irrelevant. I feel like the story could have been executed better as I found the original story that it was on to be alright. The story isn't bad but it wasn't great either.

Our main protagonist Ryuuji although being well develop, doesn't seem to stand out from protagonists from other anime. I'm not saying that he is a bad protagonist, I find that he has a pretty likable personality actually but he just seems so similar to protagonists from other anime that he's not a memorable character. However like I said before he's not bad for a main protagonist, there are way worse out there.

The other main character in this series is Rose, who I think is a very likable character. Also she does go through major development towards the end of the series which is a plus but in the middle of the series she is cast to the side a little. I would've liked to see Rose get a little more screen time and development there but I don't find that a big problem.

There is also a number of side characters who all have likable personalities and all undergo development in their own arc. However Ryuuji's school friends did get a bit annoying sometimes and I feel that Misaki's crush was only there to make Ryuuji's love life more complicated than it already was. Overall the characters weren't bad but not very memorable either.

The art is on par with many of the series out there today and the backgrounds I felt were actually drawn pretty well, the battles were done pretty well and I have no complaints about this section.

The sound was also pretty good too, the opening was really catchy (I think I listened to it the most out of the openings this season that I have). I also like the ending too. The voice actors also did a pretty good job, the voices matched each character pretty well, but that's what I expect from such a well known cast.

The series itself is character driven, which I am finding is getting more common these days. I find no problem with that but others may not find it suitable for them. The series did entertain me though and never did I have to force myself to continue.

Overall Dragon Crisis is an alright series with a number of flaws like most anime, and it isn't a very memorable series but it manages to entertain and is certainly not a bad time waster

I read the first 2 most popular reviews and thought to myself "do these people even know what a harm means?" This anime is not a "harem" anime. It is more like an action anime. The first episode you have a classmate who has a crush on the main character, then an older cousin of the main character pops into the scene, but there is obviously no love interest on either side there. Then you have a dragon girl who falls into their hands and that's where the real relationship and story is.
Now for the review.
The story I thoroughly enjoy. Stories are made ... out of the setting, characters, and the plot. The setting is very good and I can imagine a lot from it which continues my interest in the story, though the characters might seem a bit cliche and annoying at times they do not bother me to the extent to not watch further. The plot also might feel a bit cliche at times though most of the plot is the actual setting and it is new and interesting, and there are no gaping plot holes as of yet. For me all I have to enjoy is the setting for me to enjoy the anime, because I don't feel like I can predict what happens next. When I get to a point where I can predict it, that's when it gets boring. So the story is a 10
The art isn't spectacular or new but it doesn't let down expectations of this day and age. Like Freezing has where I feel the art is lacking a lot. So I gave it an 8
The sound I do believe the opening sequence and ending sequence is very catchy. Though the sound also means the voice actors and background sound too. I have no complaints about the background sound and Rie Kugimiya seems to be trying something new other than a tsundere role for once. Difficult to say if it fits her or not because I am so used to hearing her in tsundere roles. I also give this an 8.
Characters is something hard to be unique in. The main character was very annoying at first because I really do hate those indecisive characters. But he seems to have gotten decisive come episode 3.. so hard to tell now. The other characters, eccentric scientist, older dependable cousin who only uses the main character and is really loose. Innocent young female lead who falls in love with the main character without knowing much about the world. Not really sure what to rate this but I don't rate the characters very highly, though there is only so many personalities you can actually use in stories and it's difficult to say you haven't seen them all. I give it a 7, might be being generous.
Enjoyment, this is one of my favorites of the season. I'm looking forward to seeing the next episode. I don't give high numbers easily and think if something deserves a low rating it will get a low rating. I wont forget about the first 5 numbers! 1-5 if Something deserves a 4 I'll give it.

So over all I think this is an 8. Not a miyazaki work. But it isn't bad in fact 8 means very good.

One of the better things I can say about Dragon Crisis! is that it has more than enough good points not to be labeled a guilty pleasure. That said, I write with the precarious position of liking this show more than I probably "should".

The setting is one with potential, and sometimes it shows, but mostly it's just used as a setting for yet another supernatural harem show. It's world where magical artifacts, called Lost Precious because it sounds sort of cool, are common enough to be well-known (and classified on strength) but only a few people can use them to their full potential. These people ... are called Breakers, and all the official ones are sponsored and regulated by the government. Also, as you may have guessed from the title, dragons exist but they're considered extremely mysterious and aloof, so not much is known about them. In this setting dragons look completely human, with the exception of the classic bat-wings that stick out of their shoulder blades and the ability to transform into "real" dragons when they mature. There's some interesting stuff here, but so little is explored.

Instead we're given all of this as an excuse to throw magical girls (no, not those kind) at our standard harem protagonist with the far too convenient given name, Kisaragi Ryuuji (played by Shimono Hiro). When helping his overly-affectionate older cousin, Nanako Eriko (Horie Yui), on a mission to get back a stolen Lost Precious, Red Dragon Rose (Kugimiya Rie), our female lead and main romantic interest is thrown into his lap, his life, and his home. There is some conflict, most of which from a black dragon named Onyx (Kamiya Hiroshi) trying to capture Rose but mostly it's your standard harem plots.

That's not to say it's all generic and wasted set-up. Rose loves Ryuuji and admits to it with such a refreshing and passionate zeal it remains fun to watch long after it should become trite. After an endless slog of Tsunderes (some of which played by Ms. Kugimiya herself) it's a breath of fresh air. And, at the risk of spoiling a bit, we skip most of the pussyfooting around a confession incredibly fast. In fact, the story is at it's worst when it attempts to change that dynamic into something more usual for the genre (ie: cliche).
The action scenes are often energetic, and there are usually enough of them to keep things fast-paced.
Ryuuji himself has a bit more backbone and awareness towards his suitors than most harem leads, and in such a crowded genre a little goes a long way.

As for the other characters, it seems they become more interesting the less we see of them. The would-be dragon slayer and improbably young priest, George Evans (Miyamoto Mitsuru) and a two episode villain are more memorable than most of the cast while Onyx, the main villain, is so devoid of personality and originality his only real saving grace is his leitmotief. Two cliche but enjoyable mad scientists hold there own during their screentime while genre-must, Unlucky Childhood Friend Etou Misaki (Nigo Mayako), is a walking, talking yawn. In the end, the talent is there but the script isn't willing.

As for the visuals, they vary between mediocre and good but it has it's moments. The character design is incredibly generic but it manages to stay fairly fluid during the fight scenes. The lighting is pretty, but if you look for them there are a lot of off-model moments.

But in the end, the real star of Dragon Crisis!, it's shining moment and most redeeming quality, is the music. The soundtrack is pretty when it's queit, a thrill-ride when it's energetic, and it's probably what will keep you around long enough for the show to sink it's claws in. The damning phrase "too good for the show" could be used, but it's used too well. Even better somehow is the opening by Horie Yui. The cut used is excellent, but it really shows it's true splendor in it's full length. From a tongue-twisting pop tune, to a powerful english chrous, to a waltz, to a militaristic march, and back again; this tune takes you everywhere and makes you love it for that. While the style is a little incongruent with the anime, the message is shared: the ever-favorite Power of Love. It's a shame the show wasn't as varied.
Oh, and there's a cutesy/fun party song with chibis for the outro.

Dragon Crisis! is a fun diversion with some great music. It fails to live up to it's high-concept setting, but it's always competent and does enough things slightly differently to be worth watching if you feel like a harem anime. The final decision is yours, though I would highly recommend checking out the soundtrack, at the very least.

At first glance you might not think much of it, but looks can be deceiving. After watching the first episode i was impressed on how it develops how fast it does which is better because if you go on with the plot fast you get to fights and the climax faster and its not to fast were they just feed you info it has a good pace but since its only the first episode we'll see how it progresses, But i have high expectations for it already and after seeing the preview for the next episode i'm sure it excites you as much as it ... excites me. So i'm sure the best is yet to come.
I love the art and the actors(actress') Even more so because my favorite actress Kugimiya, Rie is in it playing rose. Giving it a 10 so far, hoping it gets even better.

Dragon Crisis isn't a show that I would call good or really recommend, yet it still gave me entertainment as I watched it.

The anime starts with the main character Ryuuji being pulled out of school by his "cousin," Eriko to go search for a Lost Precious, ancient artifacts imbued with some magical power, that she believes to be stolen from her. So they drive to the docks, where they then sit there for hours because the people who are arriving with the Lost Precious aren't arriving until very late that night (so why the heck did she pull him from school?). Moving on, ... they steal the very large crate that they believe to contain the lost precious, which actually contain a 14 year old blond girl. The people who they got the crate from aren't too happy so they chase after them. The girl then shoots out a giant blast of flames from this rose pattern on her hand to get rid of their pursuers. Turns out that that girl is really the Red- Dragon

At that point in the anime, I thought that this was going to be a really cool an awesome show about magic battles with these dragons , the Breakers (people who can use the Lost Preciouses like Ryuuji and Eriko), and other magical creatures. actually most of the anime is like that. But it goes absolutely no where. The 11th episode tries to bring in some huge and shocking twist, but fails to leave you with the shock because they don't explain why you should be shocked at all!

You want to know why I kept watching the anime? Well, half of episode one has Rose, that red-dragon girl, running around naked in her DFC glory, hugging Ryuuji every chance she gets. Rose is the main reason why I even watched this show. She is just very cute and appeals to a decent amount of people. Maybe she could have been a bit older, but she's cute none the less.

Aside from all the ecchi and what not, there were many decent fight scenes in the anime. Each episode had a new sort of force that they were fighting, and some new women that Ryuuji meets along the way.

And the ending to the anime leaves you with all the girls all swooning over him. At least he is a man who fights and not one of those other wimpy characters in a harem-ish anime.

Story: Doesn't really go anywhere and there is no real plot. The fight scenes were good and they had meaning, but they were all separate events and had very little to do with one another.

Art: I liked the art style, but it felt a bit off somehow.

Sound: I very much enjoyed the characters voices (especially Rose's!!) and I really like the Opening Song, but nothing special.

Characters: The women were all lovely and Ryuuji was a cool an tough guy who I was glad that he was the main character.

Enjoyment: I somehow got a lot of enjoyment from watching this anime, but then again I always really like animes like this one even if they aren't that good of a show.

My final rating for the show would be a 7. It's not a good anime, but it's not a bad one either. If you are into shows that are a harem-like anime paired with some action and fight scenes, then you'll love this. If not, I would watch one episode just to give it a chance, but you might not like it. It's a real hit or miss show.

Ah~ An anime about a dragon girl, it doesn't sound bad, ¿does it? Because we all needed a loli dragon, sure. Lolis are cute and dragons are badass, doesn't seem to be a good combination but both are good... BUT IT'S NOT A GOOD COMBINATION, JUST NO.
I got AIDS after watching this, so I feel like I need to warn people.

Story: Oh, a guy finds a little cute dragon girl, now he gets powers and has to defeat evil guys. I gotta admit it's original, you don't find a dragon in a box everyday, but that doesn't mean it's good. It is a sad excuse ... to get the typical scenary of the student living with a cute girl and romantic things happen, with sexual situations sometimes. It's not romantic so please, stop.

Art: I guess it was fine, I mean, characters don't look horrible, they're pretty normal. Their designs are not interesting but that doesn't mean they're bad.
Scenaries were fair too, nothing special but not terrible.
This is the only good thing I can say about this anime.

Sound: Opening and Ending were bad in my opinion, I don't like that kind of moe stuff.
Soundtracks were really boring and repetitive, nothing good.

Character: They're so cliche I don't even know where to start.
Main character has no personality at all, he's really boring, just the typical nice guy who does everything right.
With the girl, the creators just completely forgot she was supposed to be a dragon because it's not strong and it's useless. They didn't want to think, so they decided to do a generic moe loli that it's so innocent it makes me wanna puke.
Rest of the characters were just harem characters, with you know, the Tsundere character, Deredere character and so.
The antagonist was the worst one. He is supposed to be evil but it's funny, honestly, just pathetic.

Overall: 1 (cause 0 is not an option)
Probably the worst anime I've seen. Completely ridiculous, specially the ending, that made my eyes burn.
I don't like romance but I've watched some anime of this genre and didn't hate them as I hate this one. Romance is very childish and stupid, worse than a romance from a magical girl anime for kids.
Please, don't watch it.

Dragon Crisis is a tale of Ryuji, a high level magician, and Rose, an infatuated dragon. Of course, she is not the only one because this has.. Oh wait, it doesn't have a harem tag. I guess there is what one could call feelings of affections form the male lead, but he is still surrounded by plenty of women. As you will find that plenty of shows on my list are harems, you can trust me that I didn't give it any demerit for that. What usually happens though, is that it gets in the way of the shows progression, and well you don't ... end up watching it for anything but the eye candy.

That is not completely true with dragon crisis. There is somewhat of a plotline at times that carries out through the whole season though it disappears at times. There are plenty of small mini arcs as they introduce the other girls. The arcs aren't bad either in theory, however there is some other issues with the show. At times it feels fast paced because they want to fit as many arcs in a twelve episode season as they can.

I have to say the cast is varied, as it should be when they spend so much time introducing them. There is the shy classmate who has nothing to do with Ryuji's background, the bad ass tom girl character, the proper lady, and of course Rose. Rose is undeniably a 'moe' character, but also undeniably a spoiled Rie character. The newly 'hatched' Rose is a double edged sword; she is adorable at times but the main female lead has the mindset of a small child. As a Shukagan no Shana fan, I kept mistaking the typical rie chant "Ryuji,RyujiRyujiRyuji…" for Yuuji at times. Thankfully it never has jumped over the fence into the annoying category.

Ryuji is apparently one of the best 'lost precious' users in the world. In talent at least. While he of course kicks ass when the lead needs too, there are plenty of times where he can be the rather frustrating lame lead.

The action is pretty eye candy, and sometimes cool. Ryuuji's fighting ability is low so any long term battles consist of other characters for the most part. The dragons can also be impressive at times with their powers. There are plenty of mid combat dialogues that take place, and many times things end up being one hit KO style. What ruined my opinion the most was after a specific really cool battle Ryuuji finishes them off with the power of love... No literally, there is a giant floating pink heart engulfing the sky. What before was just a combo attack, turned into that image of the power of love consuming people. I am fine with it figuratively but… This is the usual approach taking with romance in this show, as it usually becomes over the top.

They don't do a good job at explaining things in this show. Something that makes sense because we are all sick of the clueless lead who needs to be taught, or the out of place ones. However, when they are planning to steal 'lost preciouses' and everything revolves around them it is difficult to follow at times. All I know after the end is that they are magic possessing items.


Despite as much grief I gave it in my review, I have to say I liked this show. Yes, there was all the above, but every time that Horie Yui OP came up I got pretty pumped to watch the episode, and the animation is appealing. Nothing incredibly special, but a fine watch for somebody looking for a fantasy ecchi.

Alright, I just finished the series a minute ago and I'm gonna tell you the main problem, I had with this anime. Purely and Simply this anime to me has not a single piece of originality, from the character personalities to the story it self it seems pretty much based of of other good anime series. But,(because there's always one) I won't tell you not to watch it because it's ok to watch if you just need a small laugh or wish to kill some time. Only if your a person who has seen a lot of different anime just be aware that you may ... find some of the story a bit predictable. Other than that art's good, character designs good so give it a go in your spare time.

Dragons.. Dragons.. DRAGONS!!!!!. How could i hate this anime? Despite the few cliches in this anime, I could sincerely say with a good heart that you aren't wasting when watching this anime.

Story: Good 7/10
The story follows Ryuugi and Rose as we watch their relationship grow through facing struggles and enemies. After watching this anime i can say that it was very thrilling and that was because it had a great concept to develop on. They developed on a concept of dragons and magical relics which made up for the mediocre vibe that was coming of some episodes. What i also liked about the concept was ... that it was easy to understand and it didn't leave me asking questions even though the anime was a mere 12 episodes. I would also give the conclusion of romance in the story a some points because it's the one thing we need to have in all romance anime but a lot of them sometimes leave it out. Even though the concluding romance was a success, the subject in general was a failure. Rose has a sort of unique character but i never really saw anything special about her relationship with Ryuugi. What I mean is that their relationship was developed okay but there wasn't anything special about it and that can be a turnoff for romance lovers like myself. When a relationship is done poorly in an anime, we the viewers start to look for other characters we might want to end up with the main and that isn't a good sign. I personally don't mind cliches as long as the story was fun to watch but their were some that got on my nerves in this anime. The last thing that annoyed me in this anime was how all the females would have this love for the main character and i see this shit in almost every anime i watch. To me personally, i hate when the main is a chick magnet for ever girl they meet.

Art: Great 9/10
I have absolutely no arguments with the way the art in this anime was done. Vivid colors aren't the only good thing in this anime. it had good action scenes and a unique art style. I especially like the design of Rose and Ai. Sure it may not have those spectacular and beautiful scenes but most of the art was done with originality and and i loved that in the anime.

Sound: Good 7/10 (Subbed)
The voice actors did a great job in this anime but i won't stress on that because they they always do a great job. What appeals to me the most in an anime is the soundtrack. It plays a major part in adding emotion to a scene and it i have to say that it was done good. It was nothing special but it was enough to activate the emotion and tension of the viewer. The reason i didn't give it an outstanding or great rating was because there were absolutely no soundtrack that was broke the average barrier and i just didn't find it to be as effective as it could have been. All the tracks were forgettable and it didn't really scream to me.

Character: Fair 6/10
The only thing that kept me from rating this anime as average was the development of some characters. I wanted to give it a 4 or 3 rating because some of these characters are as cliche as shit. I have seen the same male attitude 4 times this month and i am honestly tired of seen this type of male lead. When i see Ryuugi I picture myself as a kid. I was kind, helpful, caring and at times was helpless and that is okay but i hate the way how some male leads can be so helpless to the point that it comes off as gay. Yes i just said Gay. He reminded me Bell Crannel "is it wrong to pick up girls in the dungeon" but the difference between them was that Bell was a Badass and he wouldn't hesitate to make decisions to protect the people that matter to him. Almost every time Ryuugi faces an enemy, he also faces the conflict of making a decision and the way he struggled with it was hard to watch because he acts like little girl who's afraid of the dark. The next rant i have about this anime has to do with the rest of shitty cliche characters like Eriko, Ai and Misaki. I won't even explain because you must already know what I mean. Although they were really Cliche, i will have to give them points for character design but thats the only super great thing about the characters, everything else are either average or good to a point

Enjoyment: Great 9/10 Overall: Very Good 8/10
FYI. It Passed my excitement bar and i would certainly say that it is a must watch anime and an anime for veterinarians.

To begin with I found the story to be OK nothing special or creative but not terrible.
The art is probably the best thing about this series. The art is well made not something extraordinary but better than average. What really made me think I had to write a review about this series was the protagonists character. In most harem animes the main characters almost always share some of the same elements but in this series the protagonist takes the most overused and cliche qualities in anime (an not the good ones) and bases his entire character off of them. An since the protagonist is important ... to how good an anime is I've got to say he really ruined what could have been a slightly above average anime for me.

I've just finished watching Dragon Crisis!. A very good fantasy anime, I must say. I don't usually dive into the 'harem' side of Anime. I find it very unappealing and unrealistic for me. But this one had enough fantasy element's to keep me interested all the way through the end. In the series we follow a young 15 year old boy. Called Riuji, and a Dragon girl called Rose. They fight together and stuff.

Overall, what I liked most about the series it's it's fantasy, romance element. It was a nice break from all the Werewolf, or Vampire stuff, that has been going around lately. You ... know what I mean. *cough* twilight *cough*. Of course the Romance had it's Japanese appeal to eat. Being Moe, harem, and sometimes a little bit hentai.

The series had one episode in particular that literally scarred the living holy mother of god out of me. Episode 9, called 'Mirror of Truth'. (Don't worry, it doesn't affect the overall plot.) In this episode we find our protagonist's trapped in a painting. (Like that hasn't been done before. but it's the execution that counts.) They soon start talking about a horror movie they saw last night, and without a doubt the same killer appears before there eyes. They soon hide in a safe house. Riuji then find out that his 'Lost Precious' isn't working against the enemy. Bianca appears to control the situation. Anyway, to get out of the painting, they have to tell the truth to the Mirror, who so happens to be the killer.

Anyway, the scary part for me was the killer itself. It was creepy as hell! Just proves how good Japanese Filmakers are at horror.

The plot overall was the best thing for me. With each new character the series kept it's momentum, it kept it fresh and interesting for me. And at the end, all of them come together in one climactic battle.

If you have the time, you should definitely check out this series. Not for it's moe or harem side, but for it's Action/Fantasy side. :)