Kyouryuu no Jikan
Dinosaur Hour!

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This is a series of short stories featuring Dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals with an added edutainment element to it (albeit very slight)

I think it's fair to say that this is primarily aimed at kids (although my copy had a swear word in it!) with what very basic info is presented - The timeline, type of dinosaur (meat eater or plant eater) and it's length; this is what is presented each chapter and with each new dinosaur appearing. There are one or two other facts which were confusing and/or completely wrong. Example: "Noone really knows what a Dinosaur's skin texture and colour was like" ...and ... then it just leaves you hanging?! plus this is wrong, presumably it was hinting at the Dinosaur "mummies" that have been found which indicate skin texture and indentations. Also feathered Dinosaurs would have been found by this point that the Manga was written? (Dinosaur's skin colour analysis may not have been a thing by this point though? I'll be lenient with that) so yeah...things like this kinda bug me a little, especially since partially studying Palaeontology as I used to. Another thing it got wrong was putting what Spinosaurus ate as "Spinosauridae" ...it ate it's own kind?! Well...maybe? but I think what's supposed to be there is piscivore, but fish eater would have done also.

As for the stories themselves; their mostly just about eating or fighting which...is pretty much all Dinosaurs ever did I suppose? other than... y-y'know... b-but none of THAT happens! this is aimed at kids remember?!

Not all the stories are about Dinosaurs though. 1 or 2 chapters are dedicated to animals of the Permian period and non-dinosaurian reptiles. Also in one chapter, the Author reflects on how Dinosaurs were depicted when he was a child (Kangaroo-like erect postures and dragging tails) which is no longer correct.


The artwork is a little inconsistent; for the most part it's pretty basic but sometimes it looks better or worser. But the Dinosaurs are all recognisable to their genera, which is good. Backgrounds vary from basic to expansive.



The Characters are just whichever Dinosaurs or other prehistoric animal is featuring. Most are not named and not reoccurring.


So...who would I recommend this to? well I personally think this is a great beginner's manga for kids, especially if they like Dinosaurs. But as for an educational aid I think this is very bad. You'd be way better off with any other children's book on Dinosaurs quite honestly, they'd offer you way more educational value than this did.

For the record this is 23 Chapters long and is quite a short read. This is the only volume to my knowledge.

I enjoyed it as I always find anything Dinosaur related in Animanga curious and exciting... but that's just me.

Story: 4
Art: 4
Characters: 3
Enjoyment: 5
Overall: 6