No nudity this time, but there were still some positives to take away as Seikoku no Dragonar continues to improve as an anime.
This episode focused more on the anime side of things and less on the service side, though there was still a fairly high amount of PG-rated material, mostly medium distance cleavage shots, some wet shirts, and a bare butt. The last of which occurs during the AT-X exclusive scene, which shows the girls right after they change into maid outfits.
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- Good thing she’s wearing a bra.
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- This was a funny moment and as such it probably won’t add nipples.
(left click for gallery view)
Usually when an anime features copious amounts of nude fanservice, particularly of the exploitative variety, it’s almost assured that the anime itself will be pure trash, only worth watching for the boobs. Usually.
I’ve enjoyed this anime so much because it does something you rarely see, managing to reach softcore porn levels of fanservice while still feeling like a real anime. The list of shows that manage to pull this off is not very long. Strike Witches, Mahoromatic… it’s definitely not something you see every year, much less every season.
Shows that actually manage to accomplish this duality usually sell very well, I hope Seikoku no Dragonar continues the trend.
This episode didn’t have much service but it was actually my favorite episode so far. The love triangle between Eco-Silvia-Ash is developed some. Some wrinkles are added to the story with the possibility of Ash’s prospects as a royal suitor, and the resulting rage this would bring from the King. Nothing we haven’t seen before, but still fun.
In no way does this anime feel ready to end in just two more episodes. If anything, it feels like the story is still in the exposition phase.
You definitely get the feeling that C-Station is betting on themselves. They are gambling that this show will be successful enough to merit a second season, and I have a hunch this gamble will pay off.
A side note, one of my few complaints about this series to date has been the unnecessarily harsh contrast levels for the animation. Skin tone, hair, clothes, the color level of pretty much everything has looked too dark, too harsh. Almost as if they applied a “burn” tool to the entire anime.
But in this episode, the AT-X version has a much more normal looking contrast level, while the MX version is still over-saturated just as before. And maybe I am imagining it, but the artwork looked better on the opening scene for the AT-X version too. Maybe this is all a coincidence, but it’s possible C-Station used this episode as an opportunity to show us the animation quality upgrades that are coming on blu-ray.
