Dragon Raja -The Blazing Dawn- – Beneath the Tangles

In some far-flung past, on a plane apart from our own, two brothers hold a conversation. The younger, afraid to die, is assuaged by the older who explains that he will just go into a sleep from which he’ll one day wake. But the bloody conflict that ensues doesn’t lead to the young sibling’s “sleep,” but what appears to be a true death. In a modern setting, Lu Mingfei, who seems to have this dream in which he is the voice of the older brother, lives a challenging life. Abandoned by his parents, living with his aunt’s family as a Cinderella, his grades are poor, and he has few friends. But Mingfei doesn’t mind—his heart is set on an easy job and on capturing the heart of his crush, Chen Wenwen. But Mingfei is about to be offered another option for his future. Cassel College comes calling, along with a mysterious girl named Nono, and they are desperate for him to attend their school because of Mingfei’s talent and his parents’ connection to it. Everyone seems to think it’s a no-brainer that he’ll accept the college’s invitation, but Mingfei, encouraged by the enigmatic Nono, must follow his heart. But where will it lead?

Well, here’s a surprise! Perhaps a little under the radar as a donghua rather than anime, Dragon Raja -The Blazing Dawn- bursts onto the scene with a doubly long first episode (or episode zero, as its framed). Is it worth the treatment that’s typically reserved for big name properties? Well, for a donghua which in its opening minutes appears to be one that will be full of intense fantasy action (and is still likely to be later in the series), the first episode is remarkably small, as in very personal. By the end of it, we know Mingfei very well—his earnestness, sensitivity, and immaturity. And we love him for it. Yes, Dragon Raja begins with a surprisingly charming first episode that over and over reminds us that there’s an epic, historical sci-fi tale ahead, but that it will be centered on characterization. And Mingfei isn’t the only character receiving such care in episode zero: Nono, his presumed senpai, is full of attitude but kindness as well, the kind of awesome girl that, really, every series needs, and perhaps my favorite character of the season already (okay so she’ll have to fight it out with a certain wise wolf and a sardonic camping girl, but I believe she’s up for the challenge!). The charm also oozes out of the writing and direction: it absolutely lacks any subtlety, but that “go for broke” that often verges on the edge of corniness (and sometimes surpasses it) just adds to the heart-warming feel of the show. In this way, the donghua resembles some Asian dramas more than it does anime.

CGI plays a major role in the opening minutes and then sporadically throughout the episode, and will surely become more important as we move toward the more action-oriented parts of Dragon Raja. I’m a CGI hater when it comes to anime and donghua, but I didn’t find it all that disorienting here; it fit well with the tone of most of the scenes, at least the actions ones. I’m more critical about how dark much of the animation is; brighter scenes often revealed beautiful landscapes. More of that please and less of the Game of Thrones treatment—do you hear me, animators? Ahem. Also interesting and a little heart-stirring is a roll call scene toward the end of episode zero that seemed to be influenced (perhaps indirectly) by the first Avengers and early X-Men movies. I was already sold on the series by that point, but feeling a little of that heart-thumping emotion (and even more so in the episode’s pivotal scene, which I haven’t mentioned but was just a few minutes before this one) just sealed it. I’m glad to have tried out this episode and can’t wait to see if the rest of the series delivers on its promise.

Dragon Raja -The Blazing Dawn- can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

Husband. Dad. Occasionally Korean. Enjoys Star Wars, ASOIAF, and Meg Ryan movies. Tweets before proofreading. Ghibli. Oregairuuuuu. Jesus is King. Follow me on Twitter (@thetangles).