Seven Little Sons of the Dragon by Ryoko Kui

The translation by Taylor Engel was also well done. The artwork shift works well with the divergent tones of the two halves of the story. The narrative then jumps into the story of her adult son in his current life, with a shift to a more gritty and raw style. It explains her struggles from her perspective with an ending encouraging other parents to find the support they need. Even the titular dragons are kept unique and different from story to story “The Dragon Turret” presents a griffon-esque creature whereas “’My Child is Precious,’ Cries the Dragon” has a more traditional, Chinese dragon.Īnother example of this artistic creativity comes in the story “Wolves Don’t Lie.” The story begins with a simplistically drawn manga of a Mom with a werewolf son. However, each new story allowed Kui to take some creative risks in how the individual worlds and stories were presented. The art itself is fantastic and reminiscent of other works from Ryoko Kui. From a modern world where some are born as werewolves in “Wolves Don’t Lie,” to a world based on a more feudal Japanese setting like “’My Child is Precious,’ Cries the Dragon,” I found myself enraptured by each new one as I turned the page. It also shows the humanity of the cast as well as the absurdity of each kingdom’s logic.Įach story that follows is equally capable of quickly introducing us to the world and characters without confusion on the part of the reader. This tale quickly acquaints us with the world setting, a core cast, and their war logic. When the dragon leaves, war is planned to resume. The kingdom of the coast (Sealand) and inland (Highland) are divided by a dragon’s nest. The first story, “The Dragon Turret,” introduces us to a medieval world at war. There are some thematic commonalities about family, responsibility, and personal growth among some of the stories however, they are different enough to keep each new chapter feeling fresh and new. However, each story presents a different fantastical world.Įvery one of them is unique and can stand entirely on its own. The individual stories range in setting from ancient to modern.

The StoriesĪs the title indicates, there are seven stories in this one volume manga collection. Having read it, I feel that the manga truly belongs among the list of great collections of short tales. When I found out about their Seven Little Sons of the Dragon collection, I was intrigued. Ryoko Kui, the mangaka behind the ongoing series Delicious in Dungeon, has a unique talent for the fantastical. From American fiction such as Stephen King’s Different Seasons to the unique manga collection of Kazue Katō’s Time Killers, short spaces lead to creative storytelling. Seven Little Sons of the Dragon Review (Spoiler‑Free)Ī compilation of seven stories in one volume!

Seven Little Sons of the Dragon by Ryoko Kui