Dragon Half

Dragon Half was a two episode OVA based on a seven volume manga by Mita Ryuusuke. It was handled by Production IG. That's right, the studio behind Chocolate Underground, Usagi Drop & Stand Alone Complex, to name just a few. So, how does this one hold up? 

Story: 

We open with our heroine, Mink, trying to watch a pretty boy idol on the television while her parents fight. She leaves the chaos to converse with her friends about Dick Saucer & his upcoming concert. Unbeknownst to her, the king, Siva, has the hots for her dragon mother and plans to kill her father for his crime of... not ... killing the red dragon he was sent to kill so he can get together with her.

Okay, I know this is a comedy and the story doesn't matter that much, but why did the king send a knight to kill a dragon if he wanted to have carnal interactions with said dragon? Wouldn't it have made more sense if he'd sent the knight to try to woo her for him or something? 

In any case, the king's wizard, Rosario, has a cunning plan, he's basically Baldrick. If they kidnap Mink, her father will be forced to try and come to her rescue which will get him right where they want him. This rapidly devolves into schemes to get Mink from Siva & Rosario. All the while Mink and her friends are looking for a potion to make her a normal human because Dick Beaker doesn't like dragons. 

Okay, this gets on my nerves. She's going to try and change who she is to appeal to this Dick Nugget? You know what? Just be who you are. If a potential romantic partner isn't interested because they can't handle what that is, they aren't worth your time and effort. You should be able to be a dragon if that's who you are. Just incinerate anyone who doesn't like it because you're a motherfucking dragon. 

The humour of the series is largely based on absurd, over the top stupidity. For example, the ending theme tune uses a composition by Beethoven but gives it lyrics heavily focused on food and a lot of vocalisations that aren't actual words but just weird sounds. There's also the obvious gag of the antagonists having all their traps backfire. As a whole, it's not bad but it's also not really funny. About the funniest it gets is with Damaramu's over the top entrances, followed by very anti-climactic exits. 

Characters:

There's not much to them. Dick Sauce is a generic pretty boy. Mink's friends have very little in terms of personality. Mink herself is just a hyperactive comedic protagonist. Now, I've talked about how comedies don't need great, complex characters before. They just need characters who have strong comedic interactions. Unfortunately, that's not really something we get here. 

Art:

The bulk of the series uses a very simple, chibified style. Occasionally, it pulls out of it and uses a more standard action style. A lot of the time it pulls a Panty & Stocking and uses that for fan-service purposes. Because if you can't be all that funny, you might as well show some boobs. 

Sound:

I will say, Mitsuishi Kotono is a really good choice for the protagonist in the type of fast-paced, absurd comedy they're going for. Her performance has a lot of energy and, if it were paired with stronger comedy, it would be infectious. They've got some other good actresses like Sakuma Rei, Kouda Mariko & Kawata Taeko but I have to call them "good" based on their performances in other anime. In this one they're just mediocre. The music is fine. I'd be tempted to call it better since they do use classical music, but they kind of weaken it with their attempt at giving it a comedic twist. 

Ho-yay:

There is a scene where Mink's elf friend decides that she should kiss Mink for a really stupid reason, but it's obviously intended for a joke and they both have the hots for Dick Frisbee so, obviously, nothing happens. 

Final Thoughts:

Dragon Half does have a few funny moments but the comedy is largely just over the top nonsense and, overall, it's pretty sub-par. If it sounds like it could be your type of comedy, I would still suggest trying it, especially since it is short. For myself, I can only give it a 4/10. It's not bad, but it is weak. 

Take the dumbest anime you can possibly imagine, multiply that by 2, and what you get is something that's probably only half as stupid as "Dragon Half".

This is an anime of the dreaded "comedy" genre. I'm not a fan of the comedy found in anime in general, and "Dragon Half" represents the worst of this kind of comedy, containing just about every anime comedy cliche under the sun. Over the top? Check. Nonsensical? Yep. Super deformity? Hell yes. The whole thing is a big joke, and not a very funny one at that. Basically, there are a couple of hilarious moments, and the rest just ... bored me to the point of tears. Making witless noises such as "Piri piri fumi fumi" (I'm sure you'll forgive me if I don't get these incredibly profound lyrics exactly right) over a mix of Beethoven songs in an attempt to pass it off as a funny ending theme isn't clever. It's retarded. And that's exactly what this show is.

I watched this in dub, and unusually enough, the dub actually fits the anime quite well. Having said that, even if it did suck, I can't imagine watching it in sub will be much of an improvement. Shows like these can't be saved by having good voices - they're far, far beyond redemption.

On top of the random nonsense contained in the anime, it has no ending, just a beginning, because it was planned for more than two episodes - I'm knocking off major points for that. Although I guess I should be thankful that this didn't go on for any longer. If it did, my sanity would probably be beyond redemption as well.

Unless you're a fan of the most silly type of anime comedy imaginable, avoid "Dragon Half" like you would avoid a dragon that's bent on eating your brains for lunch, because that's the effect this anime will have on you.

No. Just no.

One of my friends bought Dragon Half at Anime Punch and we decided to watch it on the way home, because our bus had a dvd player.

I felt my ears begin to rot at their voices, especially at the main characters. The plot was....ridiculous. It was basically a small chibi half-dragon that wanted to get laid by some random Dragon Slayer/singer. HELLOOOO YOU'RE A DRAGON. HE WON'T WANT YOU, HE'LL WANT TO STAB YOU! SOOO, because she's THAT DESPERATE to have him, she decides "Frick, I need to become full human or he'll never love me. -tears-." God....

I think the only ... reason this show isn't forgettable is because of the squeaking and squealing like pigs they called "voice acting."

Seriously, this attempted for comedy and it FAILED badly. There wasn't a good moment in this series at all. The character designs sucked, so did the story itself.


To those considering this anime: DONT. Save your ears A LOT of misery...