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How to fix issues with dragon lore in anime, manga and manh
3 weeks ago
1. To stop using a dragonslayer trope everywhere under any circumstances as the only option for dragons - as well as not equalling adventurism/a dungeon genre with dragonslaying.
2. Giving enough of screentime for shapeshifting dragons' dragon forms. Some shapeshifting dragons either never use it again after revealing a dragon form (Beast Tamer) or never ever reveal it (Dragon Crisis), alongside with dragons' dragon forms merch in case if such dragons get own merch.
3. Worthy powerful dragon villains, in case if dragons are evil. Recently, in series like Sosou no Frieren or Dungeon Meshi (I hate both series, btw), we have PLAIN "empty" dragon villains without any background & personality, having no special powers.
4. Proper dragon main characters. There are 3 anime series with dragon main characters - Dragon Goes House-Hunting (a weakling), A Herbivorous Dragon of 5,000 Years Gets Unfairly Villainized (a weakling) and Good Bye, Dragon Life (not a dragon anymore). For example, demon main characters (7 Deadly Sins; Black Butler; Demon Lord 2099; The Misfit of Demon King Academy; An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride) get a proper lore with tons of power even compared to comparable creatures. Why cannot dragons have similar treatment?
5. To not reincarnate dragons into other beings (Good Bye, Dragon Life; Dragon System).
6. To not portray friendly dragons as "pets", stop pretend like every single dragon-affilated character is Daenerys Targaryen.
2. Giving enough of screentime for shapeshifting dragons' dragon forms. Some shapeshifting dragons either never use it again after revealing a dragon form (Beast Tamer) or never ever reveal it (Dragon Crisis), alongside with dragons' dragon forms merch in case if such dragons get own merch.
3. Worthy powerful dragon villains, in case if dragons are evil. Recently, in series like Sosou no Frieren or Dungeon Meshi (I hate both series, btw), we have PLAIN "empty" dragon villains without any background & personality, having no special powers.
4. Proper dragon main characters. There are 3 anime series with dragon main characters - Dragon Goes House-Hunting (a weakling), A Herbivorous Dragon of 5,000 Years Gets Unfairly Villainized (a weakling) and Good Bye, Dragon Life (not a dragon anymore). For example, demon main characters (7 Deadly Sins; Black Butler; Demon Lord 2099; The Misfit of Demon King Academy; An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride) get a proper lore with tons of power even compared to comparable creatures. Why cannot dragons have similar treatment?
5. To not reincarnate dragons into other beings (Good Bye, Dragon Life; Dragon System).
6. To not portray friendly dragons as "pets", stop pretend like every single dragon-affilated character is Daenerys Targaryen.
https://xbato.com/series/78524
An example where a loli dragon trope works perfectly. A main chracter has a dragon daughter figurine (at least their relationship look like a father-daughter one). As a dragon, a little girl is very impudent and prideful. But let's move to her dragon form, the thing which makes her being a loli dragon. Now guess how does she look alike as a dragon before opening the link.
https://n09.mbdny.org/media/7001/5e....._1080_1536.png
That's why I love this manga - not only her design looks unusual for a slice of life genre, she appears in it quiet often, not to mention that she is kinda OP.
https://toonclash.com/manga/shikkak.....saikyou-kenja/
A more famous series with a dragon girl as one of main cast members. People love her for being a cute girl, I love her for a dragon form.
https://cdn4.mangaclash.com/shikkak.....apter-79/4.jpg
She is not a Toothless-like cartoonish cutie, she is a brutal beast who will erase you from existence leaving no trace (sorry if you hate wyverns), btw).
https://cdn4.mangaclash.com/shikkak.....apter-79/6.jpg
https://cdn4.mangaclash.com/shikkak.....apter-79/7.jpg
https://cdn4.mangaclash.com/shikkak.....apter-79/8.jpg
But in fact her facial expressions and weirdness in a dragon form are so priceless that I have doubts which of her forms - a human or a real one, is more adorable. Facial expressions deonstrate that a heroine still remains herself as a dragon, that she is still that weirdo who lives in her own world. This dragon deserves endless head pats for her facial expressions and just being one of heroes a humanity in this manga series needs.
Unfortunately, while being the only one to get a figurine - despite not being a main character, this figurine features her human form only. Dragon figurines are not uncommon (Yu-Gi-Oh!, HtTYD, Pokemon, and even MKDM - where human forms, unfortunately, overshadow dragon ones, etc), therefore, an author - who tries to show how adorable she can be as a dragon despite of having a brutal design, could've ordered a true form one. Or at least as a plushie.
https://cdn3.mangaclash.com/temp/ma.....a308de58/4.jpg
Ironically here we have a chapter cover art where this heroine has a swimming circle, resembling her true form - which is ironic because she has to hide her true form from people who have never seen a friendly non-human before. Like "Don't forget, guys, that's not how she really looks!". We definitely need this swimming circle IRL.
Both dragons are cute girls, but I love them for being well-designed dragons who demonstrate what does mean to be a dragon - to be feared, to aim to become the strongest being or at least one of them. They are cute as humans, but their dragon forms are what make them being great. And I cannot stop liking them because they repeat this trope you do not like.
Not a fan of these 3 series, to be honest. I am awaiting for series where a dragon main character is cool, brutal and OP. If they can do this with demons, then they should not struggle with the same thing with dragons.
In Dragalia Lost, the entire Great Wyrm squad has human forms, but not only we had Dragalia Mini (chibi dragon forms) - a mascot dragon's human form failed to become more popular than a dragon one, though he is quiet handsome.