Netflix's 'Drifting Dragons' anime series dogged by whaling parallels but fans love the spectacular visuals
Netflix's new anime series 'Drifting Dragons' seems to have captured the hearts of fans with its breathtaking visuals. But that said, the parallels to whaling are clearly not lost on anyone.
The anime adaptation of Taku Kuwabara's Seinen manga series published by Kodansha, 'Drifting Dragons' (also known as 'Kuutei Dragons' in Japanese) is a unique blend of fantasy and comedy.
It follows the adventures of a crew of dragon hunters who capture and kill these dangerous rulers of the sky in order to fill their wallets as well as their stomachs.
It can be a bit difficult to stomach the glorification of hunting what are, at the end of the day, valuable and unique living creatures but the show doesn't hesitate to show the moral struggles that this line of work brings with it. That appears to be why it's still a hit with fans for the most part.
"Feeling a lot like #DriftingDragons is exactly what the Dragon Prince could have been had they taken greater advantage of the fact it's all 3D animated," one fan wrote on Twitter. "The dynamic fight scenes in this are just unstoppable."
Another fan declared, "Watching #DriftingDragons and the animation is actually really good! And the anime started off good already." Yet another fan wrote, "Watching Drifting Dragons and I love it! I’ll definitely be marathoning this show a lot!"
"#DriftingDragons on Netflix is basically 'oh can we tell whaling stories again' but instead of hunting whales we are hunting dragon..oh we will also add cooking to the mix!' lol," one viewer commented.
"Watching the Drifting Dragons intro like aha, there is another grumpy scruffy dude to add to my collection, and another, and another," one fan wrote adding, "Anyway, Drifting Dragons has pretty art if you can ignore the occasionally weird CG, hot people in uniform, an unexpected cooking anime element, and yet I’m really not sure about it because I can’t help but feel the mangaka actually wanted to write about whaling."
While the action and comedy in the series are all quite enjoyable, it does get a bit weird with its extended exploration into dragon-based cuisine. It's not for the faint of heart (or stomach) but in all honesty, it's one of the most enjoyable aspects of the series.
"Now then, why don't we find out what dragon brain tastes like.' Not... words I expected to ever hear'," one fan noted. "But, whatever... Not like I've never eaten weird things like fried jellyfish or hundred-year-old eggs before. Dragon brain; sure, why not?"
'Drifting Dragons' Season 1 is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
