Dragon Half is one of those anime “classics” that--today--offers more nostalgic than artistic value. Comprised of two related OVA (original video anime) episodes, the backstory involves a brave knight and the she-dragon he was sent to slay, who throw off their destinies, fall in interspecies love, marry, and have a daughter named Mink. Now a scantily-clad teen girl with wings, horns, and a tail, Mink longs for one thing: a date with teen idol Dick Saucer, a knight who not only slays dragons but also sings his own dreamy theme song. Meeting her idol at a concert, Mink also attracts the ire of the princess of the realm (also president of the Dick Saucer fan club), which results in the deliciously evil but incompetent king and his dastardly advisor (who carries around his own bucket of dry ice to effect dramatic entrances) sending Saucer on a mission to kill Mink after informing him that she is, in fact, a dragon in disguise. Mink greets all obstacles with sweetness and mad fighting skills, but will she ever bag the dim but beautiful Dick Saucer? The animation here shows its age, and the characters spend a lot of time in the diminutive “chibi” forms to register extreme emotions, but the over-the-top slapstick and genre jibes are often laugh-out-loud funny. Rated 15-up (for Mink's costume more than anything else--even though younger teens would find this entertaining, as well), this dual-language disc is a strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (R. Brenner)
Dragon Half
(1993) 50 min. DVD: $19.98. ADV Films (avail. from most distributors). Color cover. ISBN: 1-4139-1067-X. Volume 20, Issue 1
Dragon Half
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