Kyoto Animation is back with a fun first episode of Dragon Maid S. This is the studio’s first TV anime since the arson attack in 2019, and we couldn’t be happier that they’re back. We’ve all missed Tohru and Kobayashi, and needed the necessary dose of cuteness in our lives.
The first episode of Dragon Maid S doesn’t really bother with recaps, and you get to dive right in. Tohru is still Kobayashi’s maid, but she is growing restless so she decides to apply for a job in a Maid Cafe. Her goal is to prove that she is the best maid, but upon arriving there she immediately gets hired. Kobayashi and Kanna decided to check in on her but find out that Tohru is now the head chef. A lot of interesting things are happening whenever Tohru is around, and this time isn’t an exception.
The season premiere also introduces us to a new character – Ilulu. Tohru discovers that someone destroyed the mountain she met Kobayashi on, and decides to find the culprit. She goes through her list of dragon acquaintances but none of them did it. That’s when Ilulu shows up and proclaims that she wants to battle Tohru. A fight of epic proportions begins, and Kobayashi has to step in to help Tohru.
Tohru manages to win and seals Ilulu away. But, that’s not where it ends. Ilulu breaks through the seal and decides to stalk Kobayashi, to see why Tohru likes her so much. Kobayashi offers her a simple explanation about her relationship with Tohru, but Ilulu doesn’t seem to understand it that well, or simply doesn’t want to accept it. As Kobayashi falls asleep on the train, she casts a mysterious spell…
This episode is everything Dragon Maid fans could have hoped for. The animation is sleek, the colors are wonderful in typical Dragon Maid fashion and the plot is whimsical, adorable, and funny. It certainly sets a good precedent for the rest of the season.
This season of Dragon Maid was in the works before the KyoAni arson attack in July of 2019. Yasuhiro Takemoto, the original director, sadly died in the fire, but his legacy lives on. He is credited as a director for this season, along with Tatsuya Ishihara. Miku Kadowaki is in charge of character designs once again, while Yuka Yamada does series composition. If you’re a fan of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid‘s music, you will be pleased to know that Kotringo, Kenji Kondo, and Masumi Ito composed the music.
As far as the first episode goes, Yuka Yamada wrote the screenplay, while Tatsuya Ishihara directed it. Ishihara also did the storyboard for the episode, along with the late Takemoto. Yasuhiro Takemoto directed the first season of Dragon Maid, and undoubtedly had a vision for what the sequel would look like. His colleagues did a good job at carrying that vision out, seeing as this feels just like home for the fans of the series. The rest of the season will definitely be a real treat and it will be wonderful to see the studio back in action.
You can watch Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S every Wednesday on Crunchyroll.
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