Dragon Knights Volume 1

I am known for my hatred of all things manga, anime, or anything else of that ilk. In fact, I have somewhat of a reputation as a stick-in-the-mud when concerning such issues. But very recently, I was at a public library with some spare time, and just to be open-minded, I gave "Dragon Knights" a try.I looked at the synopsis and was ready to laugh it off as superficial and child-like. With phrases such as "dragon knight," "demon hunting," "elemental power," and "dragon lord" I was ready to condemn it as just plain stupid, for lack of a better word. But with nothing better to do, I opened the first page [to be truthful, it was actually the last page because I was used to the Japanese style of reading right to left]. And then, as though the sky had opened and angels of every religion were singing, I beheld the ingeniousness of Mineko Ohkami's work. I haven't been so engaged by a book since the first time I read ElfQuest, Davinci Code,, or even the original Dune books. While the art is standard manga/anime style, Ohkami gives each of her characters a unique and visible persona. Many artist fall into the trap of letting all of their characters take on the same appearance, only to be differentiated by their clothing. All of Ohkami's characters are easily recognizable, not only in their looks but also through their vivid personalities that shine through the pages. The story line leaves little to be desired. While convoluted and complex, this tale of high adventure, epic battles, sacrifice, friendship and deceit drags the reader across all levels of the proverbial board, it never leaves one behind. This first book is the most lighthearted, introducing the unforgettable characters of Rune, the gentle and reluctant Water Dragon Knight, Thatz, the mischievous and crafty theif-turned-Earth-Dragon-Knight, and Rath, the obsessive demon killer with a dark secret who acts as the Dragon Knight of Fire. These three unlikely heros are on a mission from their leader, Lykouleon the Dragon Lord, to retrieve the severed head of the still powerful Demon Lord Nadil. Along the way, Rune, Thatz, and Rath encounter many trails, some of which find the knights dressing in drag repeatedly. When they finally return to their kingdom, the humorous side of this series fades and a frighteningly serious and dramatic saga takes it's place. The knights are each faced with their own private battles, some of which end tragically and even disastrously for not only the knights, but their entire world. As I progressed through the series, I saw an improvement to the structure of the story line as well as the artwork. The most fascinating aspect of this series is Ohkami's attention to detail: Tiny, supporting characters that occupy single pages in one book are later brought back unexpectedly. Objects and animals that seem insignificant filler art are referred to seven books later and become essential to the plot. For its initial simplicity, "Dragon Knights" has become one of the most

I don't think there's any word short of sublime that comes close to describing this manga. It's got beautiful graphics and plenty of humor. Unlike a lot of other manga, Mineko Ohkami started her rather dark series with a light and funny first book. You actually get some character development before she starts throwing long and complicated facts at you. You get to meet Rune, and elf on a mission to get the head of the Yokai (demon) lord Nadil back to the Dragon Lord Lykoleon. Rath, a strange half demon who is positively obsessed with hunting demons and Thatz, (yes, with a 'z') a (rather lazy) human thief who'll do anything and go anywhere for food or money. You have to appreciate the humor (and the insanity) of this first book. I've seen nothing to compare. I've read my copy way more than I normally would have and I've got it mostly memorized. (He he he!) I love the right-to-left format of the book, and though it may be a bit confusing at first, it's really cool. And I loved how they kept a large quantity of the sound effects still written in the origional Japanese (I'm learning, so this was really fun and easy to translate.) I've reccommended it to all my friends (and a few strangers) and now I want the world to know that this is one of the greatest mangas of all time! Thank you and good night.

LOL, heros dressing in drag, what more can you ask for? An obsessed half-Demon demon hunter, a usually calm and collected elfen prince, and a former human thief set out on a quest which they already completed. Now with Nidal's head, they have to get back to Draqueen and present it to the lord, but with all the detours for treasure and demon hunting, will they ever get back?Charaters: Rath, our half-demon demon hunter. One of the main reasons that they can't get back to Draqueen is because of Rath's constant obesssion with demon hunting. Keeper of The dragon 'Fire.' Rune is our elfen prince. Beautiful, calm, understanding and feminine; Rune is often peeved by Rath and his demon-hunting obsession to further delaying them from returning to Draqueen. Keeper of the dragon 'Water.' Thatz, our human thief will go great distances for rewards, treasure, and prizes. Always schemeing for money, treasure, and food, he too prevents the three from getting back to Draqueen. 'Keeper of the dragon 'Earth.'A must read if you enjoy immense humor.

Want humor? Has this ever got it. The three mismatched knights get you laughing and you simply can't stop. You've Rath who'll do anything to "kick demon butt" as he says. His sword ends up breaking from over usage. You've got Thats, an ex-bandit obsessed with sleep, food, and shiny objects. And last, there's Rune the beautiful, longhaired knight determined to get back home before they waste any more time who got mistaken for the Princess. Unless you have something against comedy, you'll love this book!

With TOKYOPOP's new "100% Authentic Manga" line, the company attempts to wipe away the mistakes they made with previous manga series ("Sailor Moon", "Cardcaptor Sakura", etc.) while at the same time giving the reader an "authentic" reading experience. The results so far have been nothing short of amazing, as brand new series are given a much higher scope of their potential. This quality extends into "Dragon Knights", a highly amusing series that benefits from TOKYOPOP's new format and showcases a humorous and entertaining story."Dragon Knights" tells the story of Rune, Rath, and Thatz, three Dragon Knights that must deliver the head of a man named Nadil to the Dragon Lord Lykouleon. But this isn't easy, as the three characters have very conflicting plans: Rune just wants to get the head to the capital, Rath just wants to fight demons, and Thatz just wants to get money. Add in the mix a bunch of oddball characters after the head for their own ends, and the story takes a series of bizarre twists.The front cover of the volume makes it look serious, but the story is far from that. If you've ever seen "Slayers", then you'll know what to expect: complete zaniness. In what other manga does a soccer ball appear in a magical world? In what other manga does a bad guy threaten to banish a good guy from the comic? But the plot isn't shallow, either; beneath all the craziness in the first volume is a deep story that'll most likely be fleshed out in later volumes (all 16 of them). The first volume is very entertaining, and it gives a reader a lot to look forward to in the next installment.Visually, "Dragon Knights" isn't the best-looking manga on the market. However, the style really suits the series' oddball humor and characters; it'd be difficult to imagine the series looking any other way. If you had to compare it to something, I'd say it looks like the artwork of "Sailor Moon", only a LOT more polished and refined (and that might not even be a good comparison). Also, with TOKYOPOP's "100% Authentic Manga" format, the artwork is presented in it's original right-to-left format, leaving it untouched by photo-reversing affects and therefore leaving it clean and crisp.Regarding the translation, TOKYOPOP is indeed getting better. Previous efforts like "Cardcaptor Sakura" and "Gundam Wing" sounded stale and emotionless, but the translation of "Dragon Knights" is actually good. I counted one spelling error, but it's really nothing to get worked up about. And the overall dialogue is very convincing and emotional, thanks to the fact the text appears handwritten and not typed.Overall, "Dragon Warriors" is a great series that shows a lot of potential and will most likely live up to that potential. While it's not the best manga series out there, it's worth any serious manga reader's time to look into it, and fans of "Slayers" and other similar anime/manga should definately give this a try.