Oh, Dragon Crisis!, the series that gets to say it was the first I kept up with and finished. I'm really not sure how I feel about that. Read on to understand why.
The Basics
Episodes: 12 Genre: Action, Ecchi, Fantasy, School, Shounen Aired: December 16, 2010 to March 29, 2010 Directed by: Hideki Tachibana Producers: Studio Deen Opening Theme: Immoralist by Yui Horie Closing Theme: Mirai Bowl by Momoiro Clover
Review
The Story: According to MyAnimeList, this series is about Ryuji Kisaragi stealing a box with is cousin Eriko (from people who basically qualify as mobsters) and from the box comes Rose, a red dragon who is totally shaped like a blonde, chestless lolita, and Ryuji decides to protect her. I would like to disagree with this. They do indeed steal a box and find Rose inside, but it's not about him protecting her, really.
It's Another Teen Drama.
Basically, they meet new characters and have vague interactions with them for a variety of purpose before the other person joins their team. Minus Onyx, who is actually the villain. A pretty cool villain. Other than him, there's an arc involving the theft of a sword and an evil dead dragon, one involving a wolf-girl-chick, one episode with a crazy scientist lady who is plain crazy and then some fighting. Also, a lot of blushing and 'I love you' and 'Ryuji!' and 'I love Ryuji' and other stuff.
That about sums up the...uh...plot? (Not sure it qualifies as a plot.)
The Characters: I want to slap them. At least most of them. Let's get this straight, guys: characters should NOT I repeat, NOT exist merely to complement each other and be in love with each other. You see it all the time in YA novels (read: Twilight, Edward and Bella—no purpose other than each other) and it's annoying there as well. They should be their own individual people, you should be able to tell that they clearly have their own useful existences and Ryuji and Rose...I can't even say how much they don't have this. They are completely immersed in each other in every sense of the word, in that if one didn't exist there would be no point to the other.
The rest of the cast isn't quite that bad. Now they are in no way a great bunch of people, and really they're all pretty single-characteristic people, no depth to them whatsoever. But at least they can stand on their own two feet with those single characteristics. Eriko likes to play around, Maruga is all serious and devoted to her people (at least I think that's what she's devoted to), Ai is...I don't even know, Sapphi is the cutesy character, and there are a few other people as well.
By far the best member of the cast was the villain, Onyx, and I am not saying that just because he was voiced by Hiroshi Kamiya. ...Maybe.
The Teen Drama: All I have to say is, in a series where the villain's true form looks like this:
Why on earth would you focus on this?:
Conclusion?: Dragon Crisis!...don't watch Dragon Crisis!. From the very beginning, I was watching it because it was there. And I'm stubborn, so I always keep watching whether I'm enjoying something or not. By the end of this series I just wanted to rip my hair out. OR leap into my computer screen and murder Ryuji and/or Rose.
Prettymuch, if you want a series that is mostly about typical teenage 'do they like me? as much as I like them?' crap and just happens to have creatures who take the shape of dragons, ohhhh, twice maybe? Go for it. This anime will be right up your ally. Or if you just want to a see a blonde, flat-chested loli voiced by Rie Kugimiya (I may or may not be referring to another blogger here), it's also for you. I encourage you.
But if you want plot and characters who are totally people and figure you got enough teen drama at your high school? Back the hell away if you know what's good for you. Don't make my mistake.
My rating: 3/10. ...No, just no. Every single one of those three points came from Hiroshi Kamiya's presence.
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