Review:
Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S also known as
Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon S is a slice-of-life, comedy, fantasy series that originally aired in the summer 2021 season.
Kobayashi Dragon Maid S is the sequel to the first Kobayashi season which came out in the winter season of 2017. If you want to learn more about how that season was please check the link below for my season one review:
Season one: Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid
Like the first season, Dragon Maid S start things with a bang as we are introduced to Ilulu; a powerful dragon that is hell bent on destruction. It is action packed, it is dramatic and what’s more, we get to see all of our fav characters in this arc! Beyond the action and angst there is a heart-warming tale to be had and in general this introduction had a bit of everything. It is Dragon Maid at its finest!
After this great start the season settles into something more typical of a slice-of-life series where the following episodes largely consist of a number of mini-stories that resolve around various everyday mini-adventures. Unlike the first season, the humour found here is less off the wall and more situational and character driven. To the shows credit this change in comedy style was largely successful and if you liked the cast from season one then you are bound to like the comedy scenes that ensue in these episodes.
Speaking of character driven comedy what is also notable in Dragon Maid S is the amount of character development that occurs. A large part of why the off the wall comedy act worked so well in season one was that, in many ways, the dragons were largely a bunch of social misfits. However instead of pursuing this direction again (which would have been the easy option) Dragon Maid S has opted to develop the cast’s backgrounds and personalities. This character development is especially true for the secondary characters such as Elma, Quetzalcoatl, Shoata and our latest edition Ilulu. As a result, more of the jokes centre around the various personality quirks that develop from these characters. And seeing as these characters are all varied and memorable they manage to carry show for significant stretches of time.
This development coupled with a change of comedy direction brings a sense of fresh air as Dragon Maid S avoids the common season two pitfall that is so prevalent in comedies; that is to simply repeat the same jokes and gags. These clear differences in the series direction means we are kept interested not just in the comedy but also in gaining an insight into the wider cast’s personalities and past history.
If there is something that may put off viewers it is the fact that Dragon Maid S pays less focus on our main pairing Kobayashi and Tohru. Don’t get me wrong, the two girls still get a lot of action but they do not feature as prominently as before. If you liked this couple and watched Dragon Maid just for this reason then you will need to manage your expectations. Another significant change was the fact that the ecchi relationship of Shoata/Quetzalcoatl was toned down but this can be a positive or negative thing depending on your viewpoint. Personally, I felt it was a good move.
Beyond those changes Dragon Maid S largely retains the things that made first season so popular. The kawaii factor that is the Kanna/Saikawa combo remains as strong as ever. Those girls continue their adorable antics, what’s more they are joined by another girl who often adds to the moe factor. For those who like ecchi that remains too as the usual suspects make sure to deliver on that score. Last but not least, for all the maid lovers out there, we get a decent dose of that too!
Animation in the first season was good but Dragon Maid S turns things up a notch. The quality in animation shows a noticeable improvement and this is clear from the get go. What’s more, this great standard is maintained throughout the season. In fact, there were very few scenes when I noticed the quality dropping significantly kudos to Kyoani for delivering here! The opening and ending songs are also fairly enjoyable although both could not match the heights of season one which admittedly had a very good OST. The opening song is "Ai no Supreme" by fhána (episodes 1-11) while this season had three endings. These are #1: "Maid with Dragons❤︎" by Super Chorogonzu (episodes 1-2, 4-11), "Ishukan❤︎Relationship" by Tooru (episode 3) and "Aozora no Rhapsody” by Fhána (episode 12).
Summary
Dragon Maid S is one of the stronger shows of the summer 2021 season. It is a worthy sequel and if you liked Dragon Maid then you will surely like this. Like before, comedy remains one of the shows strong points but what makes this season stand out is the amount of character development that occurs. It is not often you can say that for a slice-of-life comedy show.
Beyond the comedy and characters, the addition of Ilulu was a great move and while some may question her stature, one shouldn’t question her personality as she really added to the enjoyment of the show. Also noteworthy was the amount of world building as not only did we learn more about the characters history, we also learned more about the dragon world itself and the history of the dragon factions.
For those more interested in familiar waters we have Kanna and Saikawa who continue to deliver all those cute moments. If you like ecchi then you will get a decent load of fanservice too. Perhaps not as much as before but it is balanced enough that it will keep the ecchi crowd happy whilst not being so much that it will put off the people who don’t care for the stuff. As a result of all these factors, this show should appeal to a fairly large crowd of fans. If I would add a negative it would be that Dragon Maid S does play it by the numbers somewhat. If you want something truly different or edgy you won't find it here.
As for the newcomers, I would recommend watching season one first as Dragon Maid S is a continuation of the main story. What’s more whilst this is an easy series to follow (even for newcomers) you will appreciate the character developments more if you saw how the dragons acted in their “juvenile” stage first!
Story 6.5 – It is challenging to give a story score for a slice-of-life series. On the whole the stories are as funny as before but Dragon Maid S improves on season one due to the fact, we get more segments that add to the history of the dragon world.
Characters 8.5 – It is the characters that largely make Dragon Maid S work. All the characters we know and love are as enjoyable as ever. On top of this we get a great addition in Ilulu who serves a dual purpose when it comes to providing entertainment and comedy. Unlike season one we get a good amount of character development which was very refreshing.
Animation/Music 8.5 – Season one was pretty solid but the quality here is noticeably better. This is especially true in the opening segments and this high standard is largely maintained throughout the shows running. The OST whilst still very good is not quite on the same level as season one.
Overall 7.5 – One of the contenders for the best
Anime of the summer 2021 season. It has all the good points from the original Dragon Maid series and manages to keep things fresh by changing the direction of the comedy. If you like your series to be light-hearted and wish for some mindless fun then this show will certainly deliver on that front. If you are after something more serious or a series that goes off the beaten track then this isn’t the show for you.
Check out the dragon sized gallery that is
Kobayashi Dragon Maid S gallery!