Dragons are back in our world! Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid 1 is a manga written and illustrated by Coolkyoushinjaserialized in Japan in the magazine Monthly Action from 25 May 2013, while the Italian edition is edited by J-POP, which announced its publication during the Lucca Comics & Games 2021. An anime adaptation was also taken from the manga, produced by Kyoto Animation available in our country thanks to Crunchyroll that simulcast it. The second season, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Sdebuted on July 7, 2021 and also in this case it is available in Italy on Crunchyroll.
Coolkyoushinja introduces us to one slife of life really well done, between humorous gangs, comic scenes alternating with moments of tenderness, so, without too much delay, let’s go and discover the wonderful adventures of a dragon disguised as a maid and his mistress a p0 ′ nerd!
“True, he said he has nowhere to go back … This sense of guilt I feel doesn’t seem like a dream at all.”
Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid 1: dragons will conquer the world! Or maybe not
Dragons are the most powerful creatures in creation. They can fly, breathe fire, and even use magic. Certainly Tohru is one of the most powerful dragons and as a Chaos Dragon she was raised to hate humansto be the strongest and most dangerous creature and her only purpose in life should be to destroy everything in her reach. Who would have thought that she would end up loving human beings and even becoming the personal maid of one of them.
Tohru is in fact helped by Miss Kobayashi, an employee whose name we do not yet know, who he finds her wounded by a sword and decides to take her to his home. Of course the dragon is too big and doesn’t go through the door, but no problem because Tohru quickly transforms into a human girl dressed as a maid! When Miss Kobayashi discovers that she is not dreaming and that the dragon is real, after some initial uncertainty about her he decides to allow her to live with her.
Thus begins the strange, comical and tender coexistence between Miss Kobayashi, a human, and Tohru, a dragon, who, thanks to the help received, decides to do everything to return the favor by dedicating herself, for example, to housework. Too bad she has to learn from scratch because the world of humans is new, huge and there are so many rules to keep in mind, first of all, don’t get caught! But who would have imagined that Tohru’s presence would have attracted other dragons!
Throughout this first volume in fact, we will also get to know Kanna and Fafnir and many more characters will likely arrive throughout the story. Nothing to say: Miss Kobayashi’s life will never be the same again and both she and Tohru will have a lot to learn from each other. Not only that, because their friendship will lay the foundations for a peaceful coexistence between two species destined to hate and kill each other.
Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid 1: a slife of life that unfolds between gangs, laughter and tenderness
The story we are going to read is not a isekai. The author does not offer us the classic story in which the protagonist is transported in a way full of magic and adventure nor the typical fantasy. What we are told could very well be a common story, starring a somewhat particular employee, certainly nerd and with her obsessions, but with a big and kind heart, were it not for the fact that the fantasy element enters and blends perfectly with everyday reality. Although it does not happen every day to come across a dragon wounded by a sword, this is precisely what happens to the protagonist, who, as if there was nothing strange, decides to take him home with her in order to cure him. The beauty of the story lies precisely in this: everything, even the most bizarre, chaotic things, which could clash with common sense, appear ordinary here., so a dragon that can change shape and take on human features? All in the norm, rest assured!
Within each chapter there is a sense of serenity and tranquility. The relationship that exists between Tohru and Miss Kobayashi is simply wonderful, together the two create an atmosphere fluffy and sweet that warms the heart. Without a shadow of a doubt the two were destined to meet, to complement each other and to find in the other the place to belong.
As for the characters, they are definitely a strong point of the story, well characterized, each with a specific personality. We have Miss Kobayashi, apparently calm and detached, but that she hides a warm and big heart. The woman never backs down and is ready to help others and to come to terms with Tohru’s whims and desire to do and help. On the other hand we have Tohru, who may always seem cheerful and happy, but this is due precisely to his friendship with Miss Kobayashi. In fact, at the beginning of the story she appears disoriented and frightened by the idea of being alone. For this she will strive not to be a burden to the savior, learning to deal with new emotions, especially with her obsessive love for Miss Kobayashi, new rules and new ways of living.
The narrative structure of the manga and the graphic style
The structure of the manga it is quite ordinary: it is divided into short chapters, each of which is a micro-narrative of the daily adventures of Tohru and Miss Kobayashi or other characters, always ending with Tohru (or another character) learning something more. The second chapter is instead a flashback, in which the encounter between the two is told: perhaps it could have been included at the beginning of the story, in order to narrate the events in chronological order.
The narrative in this first volume is mainly focused on Tohru which, slowly, begins to get carried away with the world of humans, because it is true that it is a dragon with great powers, but as a human it is still a beginner. The world is so vast and there is so much to learn. Therefore, in each chapter you will discover something more, for example how to do laundry, because dragons certainly do not have problems about what to wear, moreover it is easy to clean clothes since for them a quick rinse in the mouth is enough: comfortable no? Humans are also creatures who have so many feelings that sometimes they risk bursting and Tohru will discover on her skin what it means to be jealous!
As for the graphic style, the drawings are sometimes too stylized, which the reader may or may not like, with soft and delicate lines. Nothing to say about the fact that the author manages to make his characters incredibly expressive even if a few more backgrounds would have helped to make the setting more tangible.
