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The Legend of the Dragon Kings is an anime that continues to captivate me. The combination of action and politics has continued to hold the interest of myself and that of my girlfriend, who refused to let me watch the latest installment without her.
The next volume of the series, The White Dragon, episodes 9 and 10, continues the story of the Ryudo Brothers and their quest to be left alone. Their powers and their ability to turn into Dragons has brought about interest from those who look to use those powers to achieve their own villainous methods toward world domination. In the latest volume, the mysterious Lady L, of the Four Sisters, kidnaps the dragon-boy Owaru. Lady L means to use the teenager’s super powers to gain world domination. Alone and desperate, Owaru loses control and transforms into the mysterious wind dragon, but can his family save him before he annihilates the city?
However, things become desperate for the family as the dragons are now considered to be a very serious threat to Japan. Although, in ancient times, the dragon brothers were considered allies of Justice in China, yet in Japan, the dragons do not hold such high pinnacles of virtue. The army is against them. The police are turned against them and Lady L slowly blackmails everyone else into joining her quest to capture the dragons and use their abilities for her own gains. As they run from everyone, the Ryudo Brothers discover some allies along the way and there are even some new heroes, journalists, who appear to be potential allies that could save the brothers from their torment. In the end, the dragons will seal their own fate, but will it be the end or beginning of a new world for the Ryudo Brothers and the ones they hold close to their hearts.
Yet, while I am intrigued, I must admit that this story is starting to get a little stale. Nine episodes in and there is still dryness to the tale that I can no longer ignore. I expected more intense action as we moved closer to the story’s conclusion, but I was happy to see a little bit about Chinese mythology and the roles the dragon ancestors played in the past as they fought a monster with a bull’s head, which could be a foreshadowing of future events. In addition, I enjoyed further political references and the thought that America controls Japan, and that Japan has become weak. Yet the country has been plotting for some time to become a global power, and there’s with secret nuclear weapons at their disposal. I bet if Bush saw this video, he would think it was intelligence and proof that Japan had weapons of mass destruction. HA!! Funny, which is what these two episodes were. Despite the drama, this story had moments of levity, including what appeared to be a jab at the Power Rangers, some more jokes involving police mishaps as they look for the group of four brothers and their cousin, without knowing what they look like, and a bowling joke that was too comical, even for my taste.
It was nice to see some comedy play a role in this volume, providing a little more substance to the story. I am particularly hoping for an explosive conclusion when the final volume comes out, as the leader of the group, the Blue Dragon, finally emerges and the united power of the four dragons is fully realized.
Send your comments and or questions about this article to JMinners@ybfree.com.