Cute dragons doing cute things.
Impression
Three episodes in, and Tooru is still the cutest and the best. It’s her scenes with Kobayashi that truly carry the show. I’m a little surprised that she’s had so much screen time given that we’ve been gradually having more dragons introduced. Usually you’d expect a reduced amount of attention paid to the initial characters, if only for the newer ones to be fleshed out, but it’s been the exact opposite for Maid Dragon. It’s almost as if it’s earnestly trying to make up for diverting some attention away from Tooru onto Kanna last week by having a Tooru-centric episode this time round, although I have to admit that the 4-koma skit featuring Kanna trying to find somewhere to sleep was simply a miracle of the universe.
Beyond her lust for Kobayashi, there’s actually a lot to Tooru as a character. In particular, it’s really interesting how we’re tacitly being told more and more about Tooru’s pre-Kobayashi life every episode. I wasn’t sure at first whether her origins would be a recurring focus, but it’s something that’s been there every week, even if only slightly. It’s not the driving force of anything by far, but it’s an undertone. Sometimes Kobayashi straight-up asks her, and at other times characters like Fafnir or Lucoa let things slip. Not all of these instances are serious, either – the ‘licking each other clean’ scene was very lewd, and the one about Tooru migrating all the time was funny and a little bittersweet. I’m not sure if her past has anything to do with this, but I think it’s also worth talking about Tooru’s attitude towards humans. Kobayashi aside, she really can’t stand humans, can she? Is that the right way to put it? I mean, she’s civil enough to most of them, but she doesn’t consider herself to be on good terms with any of the market stall owners, and I’m certain she was about to kill Kobayashi’s new neighbours if Kobayashi herself hadn’t appeared to defuse the situation. In other words, she doesn’t see humans as being anywhere near equal to her. Which I know she’s said before, except at the time it was a little hard to take her seriously as she proceeded to try her best to sniff and taste Kobayashi’s clothes. Her actions over these past few episodes have helped a lot to reinforce her whole ‘inferior species’ outlook as far as humans are concerned. Which then begs the question even more of how in the world she managed to fall in love with Kobayashi to such an extent.
I guess my point is, they’ve done a lot with Tooru in the space of three episodes. You’d almost think the series was titled Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid. Heh. Also, unfortunately there were fewer tail jokes, but it’s genuinely become my favourite part of Tooru now. It’s squishy. It’s moves a lot. It’s hilariously fat. What more could you want? And really, given all of the above, how can the other dragons even compare?
Whoa. I… take that back. I’m not going to lie, my heart fluttered a little when Lucoa opened her eyes. They’re strangely mesmerising. I’m not sure how to explain it, but I actually paused the episode for a good minute to just stare into her eyes until I was satisfied. I know Tooru has really nice fiery eyes as well, but they’re just not the same (and I’m not about to go back on my announcement that her tail is the part of her body I like the most). Lucoa’s are just so bizarre. Kind of makes you wonder whether there’s a story behind the heterochromia, and whether it’s related to her having been a goddess in the past. Something something goddess of my heart What really surprised me, though, was how nonchalant the entire scene was – the context was on how Tooru and Kobayashi have changed each other, and all of a sudden Lucoa just reveals these beautiful eyes out of nowhere and to the reaction of absolutely no-one. Not least of all Kobayashi, who was the first to call her out on her scandalously slutty outfit and her unacceptable pair of Lucoas. I have no idea what she did to her sister whilst drunk, but it was definitely something lewd. There’s no way it wasn’t. She’s lewder than the rest of the cast put together.
Just as a reference, according to myth Quetzalcoatl was apparently given a cursed drink at a party and then tricked into having sex with his younger sister. That is what Tooru is referencing about Lucoa’s past.
This is a great series. And this is pretty much the first time anyone has managed to get a good look at both of Lucoa’s eyes: in the manga not only is it hard to make out in black and white, but she doesn’t open them as far as she did here, so you have to look closely to realize that they don’t match. In a later chapter we see one eye completely open, but not the other one. Anyway, they look stunning in color onscreen.
So that’s why Lucoa got so embarrassed when Tooru brought it up. Dragons really don’t have good pasts. Also, is Tooru the only dragon not based on real-life myth? Fafnir and Kanna both have mythological inspirations, but Tooru just looks like a big green dragon.
I have the strangest crush on Lucoa’s eyes. It’s something to do with the contrast. If her eyes were identical and featured either design I wouldn’t have reacted much, but with a funky mismatch they’re suddenly fascinating.