Kyoto Animation Studio
October 6, 2016
After enduring the taunts, jeers, and sneers that resulted from the underwhelming Myriad Colors Phantom World, Mr. Hideaki Hatta, the president of Kyoto Animation, decided to recommit to the conventional. He guided the studio producers into a months-long effort in crafting a sequel to the massively successful Sound! Euphonium. When the dust settled, KyoAni’s staff, with the utmost confidence, released Sound! Euphonium 2, and then they celebrated. They engaged in several rounds of poker, and they consumed multiple tabs of LSD (One employee in particular swallowed six tabs at once), as well as a large helping of cocaine. 4 hours passed before Mr. Hatta summoned his employees into the meeting room. He stated, “I know that we already took care of the Fall season with Sound! Euphonium 2 but we need something to air in the winter. Any ideas, guys?”
The KyoAni employees, still buzzed from the booze, drugs, and other late-night adventures, quietly remained in a state of half-consciousness.
Mr. Hatta, visibly exasperated, muttered hopelessly, “Just blurt out the first thing that pops in your head.” It was Jiro Tazaki, a fresh-faced intern on his first day, that spoke up. It remains a mystery if it was the LSD, the alcohol, or God Himself that planted the idea in Tazaki’s mind but on that day, the concept he introduced would be the catalyst behind KyoAni’s latest heavy-hitter project.
After Mr. Hideaki Hatta spoke, what Jiro Tazaki responded with was, “Bouncing dragon tits.”
*******
With that, Miss Kobayashi’s Maid Dragon was born.
If there’s one thing that could turn away potential viewers, it’s the cutesy character designs. From the woefully oversized eyes to the roundness of the character’s frames, and even the rose-tinted cheeks, the character designs are a victim of moé overdose. Then again, realism has always been a foreign concept for Kyoto Animation, so no surprise there.
Miss Kobayashi’s Maid Dragon prides itself in its humor but early on, its comedy is a bit too dependent on unnecessary boob grabs for its own good. While that element is minimized yet never erased, the show leans more and more on its Fish out of Water jokes as the runtime progresses, and this is where the show strikes comedy gold. There are more than a few instances in which Miss Kobayashi’s Maid Dragon constructs an exaggerated, fantastical contrast to real-world occurrences. When the characters are shopping for school supplies, a common stapler is interpreted as a torture device. When one character seeks to learn about sports festivals, events like running, ball-tossing, and tug o’ war are processed as medieval tactics in battle. It’s scenes like those that aid Tohru (Miss “Bouncing Dragon Tits” herself), and her other fire-breathing friends in adjusting to a world not their own.
It’s right here that you’d be tempted to think, “Slice-of-life/comedy about characters from a different world living on our own? Hey, this is The Devil is a Part-Timer all over again!”
While Miss Kobayashi’s Maid Dragon does have a similar premise with that of The Devil is a Part-Timer, that is the extent to which these two titles are identical. While The Devil is a Part-Timer has its characters lead normal lives in a day or two, it requires a month for this show to do the same. While The Devil is a Part-Timer allows its characters to showcase their abilities in broad daylight, there are consequences that occur when this show does the same. While The Devil is a Part-Timer maneuvers its supporting characters to the sidelines, Miss Kobayashi’s Maid Dragon allows its relatively minor characters (like the domineering Riko Saikawa, the perpetually anxious Shouta, or (my personal favorite) the brooding Fafnir) to claim their moments in the spotlight. While The Devil is a Part-Timer briefly mentions the characters’ past lives and never bothers to provide details, Miss Kobayashi’s Maid Dragon reflects on the bygone days and consistently links that to the cast’s arcs. In short, Miss Kobayashi’s Maid Dragon embarks on the same path as The Devil is a Part-Timer yet it contains a more enhanced storyline than the latter, as well as greater character depth.
Although, the aforementioned character depth is what distinguishes this series from its peers, the method in which depth is handled as flawed at best. Miss Kobayashi’s Maid Dragon exists on the strained relationship between humans and dragons, as well as attempts to rectify this dynamic. However, the razor-sharp focus on this concept, though admirable, prevents this show from delving into potentially fantastic subplots. Sure, there are a few discussions about familial dynamics and self-exploration, but ultimately the show never truly ponders on these ideas. Though it appears quite underwhelming, the (very) limited range of thematic elements in Miss Kobayashi’s Maid Dragon shouldn’t automatically blacklist this title (After all, Onihei isn’t exactly a paragon of versatility yet there are many, myself included, that consider it to be this season’s hidden gem). However, I must advise you to be prepared for this show’s “serious scenes”. Suffocating beneath the overwhelming weight of the warm, childlike atmosphere of the show, these segments provide a complete contrast to the rest of the series. At first, they carried grace, sophistication, and a unique charm (CGDCT + pathos wasn’t a formula I encountered before) but later on, it felt as though these segments were recycling the same handful of storyline beats over and over. By the fifth episode, I was bored to tears, and apparently so was KyoAni’s brain trust. They ensured that the serious scenes received a mercifully short runtime with each appearance.
Ambition is a trait that I absolutely covet when it involves anime. There are few things I adore more than witnessing an anime series journey beyond the conventional. With this series, however, I am satisfied with its exercise in normalcy. Miss Kobayashi’s Maid Dragon doesn’t desire to reinvent the wheel nor to “save anime” in the vein of Studio Trigger. No; what it seeks is to entertain, and on that front, it has more than succeeded. Whether it’s the witty sexual innuendos, Tohru trolling Miss Kobayashi’s short-tempered supervisor, or her utterly breathtaking chasedown of a purse snatcher, Miss Kobayashi’s Maid Dragon guarantees excitement. And that’s just fine with this run-of-the-mill reviewer. For once, the hype is justified.
6 dodgeball-playing dragons out of 10
