RuriDragon, Vol. 1 is a coming-of-age manga that throws an interesting spin onto female adolescence.
Aoki wakes up with horns growing out of her head. Her mother nonchalantly mentions that Aoki’s father is a Ryu, or Japanese water dragon, so that explains it. Her girlfriends can’t stop groping them. The boys in her class appear to ogle them. The horns seem like a not-very-subtle metaphor for adolescent breast development. Then comes the fire-breathing that causes a bloody mouth that is embarrassing to Aoki. Can anyone not see the female adolescent analogy in that?
Eventually, Aoki works through her feelings about being a half dragon. Next, we are hit over the head with multiple chapters of a don’t judge people by their differences, particularly their looks, parable. Aoki is both judged for being different and judges others based on their voluntary grooming choices. And that is BAAD!
I wanted more jokes, high school hijinks and maybe even some romance than I got from this manga. Hopefully, future volumes will move past character introductions and blatant moralizing. This particular manga, RuriDragon, Vol. 1, is best for preteens rather than adults. 3 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media for providing me with an advanced review copy.