If you think facing a man-eating witch is dangerous, imagine having to face the one-eyed monster that ate it. In a farcical tale of hijinks and swashbuckling adventures, Rath, Rune and Thatz become the Dragon Knights of Fire, Water and Earth, and scour a mystic landscape. Their quests? Fortune, love and honor. And though they may have to work together, no one says they have to like it. The Dragon Knights are put to the ultimate test when their fighting involves more than just their enemies.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Witty and hilarious...definitely a favorite,
By The Girl With The Backwards Books (An Otaku) (Charlottesville, VA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Dragon Knights #1 (Paperback)
Okay, time to write some online reviews! Before i buy anything i always come and read the reviews here, so i guess i oughta do my part and write some of my own! Dragon Knights Vol. 1: The chronicles of three somewhat crazy knights as they cavort across a magical landscape full of bizarre characters with the head of their former enemy Nadil. Meet Rath, a Yokai Demon who's bent on destroying those of his own kind, Rune, a somewhat feminine and sensitive elf who just wants to follow orders and get home safely, and finally Thatz, a lazy human thief and former gangbanger who's only interested in food, sleep, and cash of course. This is a hilarious series that is definitely a feat in comic manga. So, why the four-star rating, you ask? Well, truth be told i think this volume is one of the better mangas out there, but I reserve my five-star ratings for things like Nausicaa, and anything Miyazaki and whatnot. I was originally put off by this series when i first started reading manga becuase of the cover art (pretty bad on this one folks...since when does RATH have PURPLE HAIR?...and who the heck is the other guy?) well, at any rate i got bored one day and browsed thru it in B&N, and it turned out that the cover art wasn't anything LIKE the stuff on the inside. The characters are drawn way more three dementionally, etc. However, a word of warning before you get your hopes up: the artwork changes very quickly with the progression of the manga,(ive browsed through later volumes) in much the same way that X/1999 by CLAMP does. However, i think if you ignore it the artwork QUALITY remains very good, even if the style differs. As to comic level, this books great; full of knights in drag, man-eating witches, demon fortune tellers, and robotic storekeepers!!! after i started reading this the first time, i was disappointed to find the seemingly pointlessness of the stories, but i dont think thats true at all. whats really happening here is the author is giving you the lag time (that most mangas lack) between destinations in the form of several witty, comic adventures. its just that it is put in the first volume, then travels backwards in time to explain it later. From what i hear, the series gets a darker feel as you go, and the plot stabalizes. The reason i personally enjoy this manga so much is that the comic humor is great, and the characters and their expressions are unique and full of life as demons and the like plot to get nadils head (btw, once you read this, is it me or is Cesia like...a fourth dragon knight who doesnt know it and controls the WIND? hmm...)and of course, cat fights between the dragon knights ^-^!!!! for this volume, the art is still good, but it lacks wide-angle shots, which may be part of the style. Usage of screen tones is excellent! The best kind of Manga artwork is the kind that maintains consistency, explores different angles without obvious effort, and is servicable to tell the story rather than look pretty. Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind, Akira, MARS, and anything by Rumiko Takahashi (Inu Yasha, Ranma 1/2, Maison Ikkoku) are all excellent for that, and dragon knights vol 1 definitely goes along witht hem okay, so ive spilled my thoughts and opinions! btw, this manga has less cheap humor and more laugh out loud, comical, clean humor. its a great buy, i highly recommend it! i notice something new every time i read it!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazingly Riveting,
By
This review is from: Dragon Knights #1 (Paperback)
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 challenging series I have had the pleasure of taking part in. After reading most of the entire series, I am convinced that I have found a new favorite. The Anime/Manga style and I have reached a grudging respect as a result of Ohkami's work. I can only hope that you can enjoy this truly unique and down-right fun series as much as I have. Happy reading!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A incredibly humorous and highly amusing series.,
By "arxane" (Oklahoma City, OK United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Dragon Knights #1 (Paperback)
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.
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