Madpenguin
"One of the few anime comedies that's actually funny some times."
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One of the few anime comedies that's actually funny some times.
-
Oct 2, 2011
- by Madpenguin
- posted in ASIANatomy
Rating:
A half human and half dragon by the name of Mink falls in love with her favorite singer and entertainer Dick Saucer, who also happens to be a dragon slayer. After finally "bumping" into him, she decides to go on a quest for a potion that will completely turn her into a human, with the intentions on winning him over. Unfortunately for Mink, a local king she had recently beaten up has hired Saucer to kill her.-summary
+4
"Funniest anime ever made". When one hears the name Dragon Half, this is normally a claim that isn't too far away. Even though I can't fully say as of yet that I agree. This short OVA does make a strong drive to the title, and the funny thing is, it only took two episodes to make its mark. This is actually something to brag about, since there are many titles either the same length or much longer that end up as total failures.
Dragon Half is like a well disciplined soldier; It knows exactly what its objective is, and it heads straight for it with intentions on accomplishing the mission. From go, the anime is non stop comedy and never, ever, lets up. The interesting part about the anime is that it doesn't have to rely on sex oriented jokes, or an overabundance of fan service to get a good laugh out of the viewer. Although they are used in very low supply, it never had a forced feel to me.
The laughs are provided within the dialogue, characters actions, and the sheer insanity on the screen. Most of these hilarious moments appear out of nowhere, and they work most of the time. Those out there who are big fans of characters shifting into the deformed disproportionate versions of themselves, will love this one because it seems to revel in it.
Character development is rather low, but this is the most memorable group of characters I can remember from such a short series. The solid voice acting for both languages do them justice, and only helps to provide more laughs. The anime is virtually plotless, with things happening at random only to provide more comedy, but a solid plot clearly wasn't the aim here anyway. Another aspect of the series that I really enjoyed was the abandoning of certain anime cliches. The series isn't the least bit predictable, which adds to the fun factor a great deal.
The animation is decent at best, and I really didn't notice anything noteworthy. The goofy character designs are top notch for this type of wacky anime, and the soundtrack fits well by meshing perfectly with the silliness. This also applies to the ending theme, which is just as wacky and makes very little sense. The voice acting or should I say overacting, hits the mark every time. Both the sub and dub shined brightly for me, and it was pretty much flawless.
Dragon Half to me is a pretty good OVA, but one thing I don't agree with the fans on is the short length. Despite the mindless fun of the series, two episodes was enough. This type of insanity for me began to overstay its welcome, and a couple of jokes began to grow stale such as the super deformed bodies. When it comes down to anime comedy for me; one or two seasons can actually damage the show due to many re-used jokes, and eventually they begin to lose their appeal. The anime series Slayers definitely comes to mind, with its repetitive gags that carried through to the very end of the series, and once they reached into the movie features; the entire franchise lost all of its steam, and eventually Slayers became a shadow of its former self. Dragon Half could have very easily fallen victim to the same fate.
I only recommend this title to the most diehard, comedy driven anime fans. If you enjoy the comedy elements I mentioned. Then this is for you. If you're new to anime, then I recommend avoiding this and going straight into Slayers, because even though I have issues with it. The series(not the movies) still provides a great story, better characters, and a rock solid plot. This OVA has a 50 minute run time.
Pros: Excellent voice acting, Comedy that works...
Cons: ... but can overstay welcome for some
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FM_ALEX
October 10, 2011
My girl has told me about this before but I have yet to see it myself. Great review once again.
Madpenguin
October 11, 2011
I don't think it's anything to rush and see. But give it a watch if she has it. It isn't that long.
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woopak_the_thrill
October 06, 2011
Yeah, this was fun. I'll be back to read your new stuff. I am drafting a couple of reviews while the movies are fresh in my mind. I am coming back to Cali tomorrow...
Madpenguin
October 11, 2011
Sorry for the late reply man. It's a fun title, I think Nick loved it.
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QUEENBFLIX
October 03, 2011
This sounds like something I could enjoy. What do ya think?
Madpenguin
October 03, 2011
Unless you have a soft spot for Japanese comedy. In which that's not for everybody.
QUEENBFLIX
October 03, 2011
I haven't really seen that many Japanese comedies, with the exception of THE CALAMARI WRESTLER.
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About the reviewer
Madpenguin
Ranked #2
Ranked #2
Member Since:
May 22, 2011
Last Login: Jun 15, 2013 08:21 PM UTC
Last Login: Jun 15, 2013 08:21 PM UTC
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About this topic
Dragon Half (ドラゴンハーフ, Doragon Hāfu?) is a manga created by Ryūsuke Mita and serialized in Monthly Dragon Magazine from 1988 to 1994. It was adapted into a two episode anime OVA series in 1993. ADV Films licensed the anime series in North America.[1]
The story follows Mink, a half human/half dragon teenage girl on a quest for a potion which will turn her into a full human so that she can win the love of the legendary dragon slayer Dick Saucer. In the manga, in order to get the potion, she must slay Azetodeth, the greatest demon in the land.[2][3]
The story (which is a parody of the Dungeons and Dragons genre[citation needed]) is very tongue-in-cheek, and pokes fun at a number of anime clichés,[3] most notably its overuse of super deformation and its wide range of genres in a similar way to anime such as Excel Saga. Much of the manga contains references to role-playing games and occasionally either other manga or anything that begins with the word 'dragon'.
Ryūsuke Mita's favorite animal is the dragon. As a result, several dragons play an important role in the manga, most notably Mana and her father, Titan.
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The story follows Mink, a half human/half dragon teenage girl on a quest for a potion which will turn her into a full human so that she can win the love of the legendary dragon slayer Dick Saucer. In the manga, in order to get the potion, she must slay Azetodeth, the greatest demon in the land.[2][3]
The story (which is a parody of the Dungeons and Dragons genre[citation needed]) is very tongue-in-cheek, and pokes fun at a number of anime clichés,[3] most notably its overuse of super deformation and its wide range of genres in a similar way to anime such as Excel Saga. Much of the manga contains references to role-playing games and occasionally either other manga or anything that begins with the word 'dragon'.
Ryūsuke Mita's favorite animal is the dragon. As a result, several dragons play an important role in the manga, most notably Mana and her father, Titan.
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