Anime Reviews:

Dragon Half

(1993)

[Dragon Half sleeve] "Silly" is probably the best word to sum up this particular release, two episodes of a very amusing pisstake of the sword 'n' sorcery series popular in anime (most notably, Record of Lodoss War), which involve dragon-slaying and the like.

All of the dumb posturing and mindless heroics endemic in such productions are relentlessly parodied in Dragon Half, where the heroine is, as the title suggests, half-dragon, half human, and obsessed with pop star Dick Saucer, who unfortunately also has a flourishing second career as a dragon slayer. Throw in a princess who does NOT need rescuing, and... little more need be said. Heavily reliant on caricature and exaggeration, this is perhaps not the best introduction to anime for a novice; but for anyone aware of what's been mercilessly lampooned, it's a real blast. 7/10

Jim McLennan