Kuutei Dragons
Drifting Dragons

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This is only a preliminary review, as just two volumes have been released in English at the time of writing, but 'Drifting Dragons' is my favorite new manga released in 2017.

STORY
It's too early to make a judgement call on the story, as so far it's been largely episodic and it's a bit early to tell if Drifting Dragons will stay on that path or it's just setting up the story world before diving into a major, central narrative. The story world itself is quite creative, a fantastical version of the 19th century where airship crews hunt dragons in the same way Nantucket sailors used to ... hunt whales. Although, I can't understand why the manga seems intent on going into so much detail on 'How To Cook Your Dragon'- cooking directions in something realistic like 'Sweetness & Lightning' I can understand, but what's the point of a recipe whose main ingredient is a fictional creature?

ART
This has been the top selling point for 'Drifting Dragons'. The illustrations seem like something out of a Ghibili film: incredibly detailed fantasy settings and outfits with characters just 'cartoony' enough to make it fun. It gives this series a distinct visual identity and sometimes I'm left simply looking at the page, soaking it all in and thoroughly impressed. I'd put 'Drifting Dragons' up there with 'Vinland Saga' and 'A Bride's Story' in terms of sheer aesthetic appeal.

CHARACTERS
Like Story, it's a bit early to give a definitive score on this section. This manga has a ensemble cast, although junior crew member Takita has gotten the most time in the spotlight so far (as the newbie she makes a good point of view character, since as the veteran 'Drakers' explain the trade to her we the audience also learn). Thus far the other major characters haven't had time to expand beyond their initial characterization, but I'm willing to wait a bit longer since they're entertaining and it looks like the story is still in its set-up phase.

OVERALL
Beautiful art and an intriguing world make this series something fans of fantasy adventure should definitely look into, and if a good solid story develops we could have something special here for the whole manga community.

Finished reading Dungeon Meshi and want to scratch that slice-of-life-meets-isekai itch? Look no further, Drifting Dragons is your choice.

Before the review, a short rant. What is up with people who give up early and give bad ratings? Like, seriously, don't hand out 1's if you haven't read past 10 chapters.

Now, on to the review.

Story: 8 The plot is really creative, detailing the adventures of a dragon-hunting crew exploring the vast skies. It's quite slow initially, but the pace really picks up from around chapter 8 onwards. The events really allow the strong worldbuilding to shine through. It's fascinating to see how the ... entire world is shaped around dragons, dragon hunters and draking vessels, and dragon produce.

Art: 9. Arguably the strongest point of the manga. Painstakingly drawn and rendered, the beautiful art is highly reminiscent of Studio Ghibli's masterworks like Castle in the Sky and Nausicaa in the Valley of the Wind. No further words need be said - read the manga and be amazed.

Character: 7. The manga's weakest point. The cast is held together by a tight core of focused, well-written characters. However, many of the supporting members feel a little bland and forgettable. There was some attempt to address this in later chapters, but there's definitely a lot more room to develop the ostensibly "side" characters.

Enjoyment: 8. I genuinely enjoy this manga a lot. Maybe I'm a sucker for fantastical tales of exploration, but I found the dragon hunters' way of life refreshing. Though their line of work is unmistakeably gory, they nonetheless have great respect for the beasts they rely on for sustenance, and always try to kill as humanely as possible, and pray for the departed dragon's spirits.

In response to some other reviewers, I want to say that isekai manga is a place for people to explore a different world and a different culture. Don't bring your preconceived notions of right and wrong into it. I also want to point out that dragon hunting is very different from commercial whaling - it's conducted sustainably on a small scale and done humanely, with a firm attitude of "hunt only what you need, and waste not". It's easy for privileged people in their modern lives of comfort to look down on this "barbaric" lifestyle, but that just shows a lack of empathy for the economic realities faced by the constantly-poor dragon hunters who know no other way to support themselves.

Overall: 8. This is a great manga with excellent art and worldbuilding, and you should read it. Peace out.

Ah, what can I say? I R E A L L Y liked it. It reminds me of Nausicaa for some reason; it gives me the feeling of being reading a Ghibli manga, something so imaginative and wonderful enhanced by the masterfully crafted art.

I first watched the anime adaptation and I think it is bad, really bad, specially because they use this 3D style. But reading it, it's a completely different experience.

The characters and the story are very simple (at the moment I'm writing this review, I'm only 17 chapters in), but it's a really cozy slice of life/adventure manga, something ... very simple and beautiful.

It's obvious I think it is a 9/10, but I have to give readers a warning: if you share left-wing or you think videogames make people violent, this manga will upset you for sure. You can see it already in the reviews, since people seems to have a strong hatred against Japan and various groups seems to be unable to separate a work of fiction from reality. It's a shame.

I'm surprised people don't seem to like this manga all that much, and while I'll agree the story/general direction was pretty nonexistent the atmosphere of the manga itself was amazing.

The ship and its crew always seemed so lively, as each character instils their own unique presence. Where this manga really shines is in it's art and again atmosphere, the ships and dragons are beautifully drawn and makes you feel this sense of wonder, and leaves you itching to see what's around the next corner.

There are chapters later on that enhance the world building aspect of the manga. It does this through visiting other towns, ... showing other drake ships or developing other characters by showing what they do while the main characters are off doing flashy drake huntery things. this dynamic is another aspect that I think this manga nails.

TL;DR: awesome atmosphere and art, mediocre story but great characters