A Special Thanks To Viz Media and NetGalley for the ARC
It’s a story that I have been reading since it first debuted on Shueisha’s Manga Plus App, Masaoki Shindo’s RuriDragon. RuriDragon is a fantasy slice-of-life story that has caught the attention of many since its debut two years ago, ranking at number one in Japan’s “Nationwide Bookstore Employees’ Recommended Comics of 2023” survey, The series ranked ninth in the 2024 edition of Takarajimasha’s Kono Manga ga Sugoi! List of best manga for male readers. Before we begin this review, be sure to check out my previous reviews!
Our story begins like any normal tale, a young teenage girl prepares for another day of school, ready for what life will throw at her. But she didn’t expect to wake up with horns! The girl’s mother told her daughter that Ruri inherited her draconic traits from her father, who, yes, is a dragon. Ruri’s life will be turned upside down as she deals with curious classmates and her newly discovered Dragon Genes, which are starting to turn up the heat!
It’s a coming-of-age story that flips the script on its predecessors and adds a mix of fantasy, comedy, and absurdity to bring readers a positive depiction of having a mixed heritage (but using dragons). One of the strange things about the story is how unconcerned the adults are about Ruri’s Draconic Heritage and newfound abilities, which makes me wonder if there is more to her world than we believe, from what I can tell, we’re learning more about it through the eyes of Ruri.
The characters in this story are odd, but in a good way, for example, Ruri’s mother is surprisingly calm and undeterred by her daughter’s newfound abilities which catches Ruri off guard in a comedic way. Speaking of her abilities, she learns right away that she can breathe fire from her sneezing (though, with her being half-human, her body hasn’t gotten used to these new abilities yet.) As for her classmates, they aren’t immediately frightened at the thought of a classmate having horns or being a dragon but treat Ruri as one of their own. Aside from the positive depiction of being mixed heritage, this story also serves as a way of going through puberty, so to speak.
Aside from Shindo’s unique story and script work, his artwork was something else to admire from this wholesome experience, each of her classmates was designed uniquely, and each had different personalities of their own on display not by words, but through representation. With how each chapter tackles certain situations that she faces whether it be school, making friends, mastering her new draconic abilities, and her newfound draconic nature, it is drawn and handled with great detail and smooth linework. Not to mention packed with little nods and easter eggs in certain scenes.
RuriDragon Volume One goes on sale on January 7 at your local bookstore or e-retailer. You can also catch RuriDragon on Shueisha’s Manga Plus App and Viz Media’s Shonen Jump App.
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Final Grade:
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