First Impressions / Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon

「運動会！（ひねりも何もないですね）」 (Undoukai! (Hinerimo Naidesune)
“Sports Festival! (There’s No Twist or Anything)”

Just like the episode title promised, there weren’t any surprises this week and instead we were given exactly what we were promised — an episode full of cute familial moments.

Plutonic Family.. sort of

There was a really well written comment about a month back that compared Kobayashi’s current lifestyle to that of a typical family. And while it slightly differed with how Tooru described things (if I remember correctly the commenter put Kobayashi and Tooru as the parents), I think there’s a lot of merit in comparing our three main characters relationships to a typical family. Not only does it help justify Kobayashi’s continued behavior as the best mom of the season, but it makes for some awfully heartwarming moments that just couldn’t have happened without the right amount of preparation. Using this week’s example as a prime example, if we’re being brutally honest not much actually happened this week. Looking at things from lowest level possible, this episode was simply Kobayashi surprising Kanna by taking time off combined with Kanna and Saikawa having a fun time while getting cheered on by their parents. Something that truly didn’t have all that much going on.

But this show is about a lot more than that. It’s about the subtlety in every characters actions and the inside jokes that you just don’t get unless you’ve been paying attention. From the camera quickly panning to Kanna’s shaky hands while trying to be a big girl to Shouta sucking it up and dragging Lucoa over when he needed to show the judge something world-class, it’s these moments that really push this show past a simple slice-of-life that happens to have dragons in it. And let’s also not forget the intricate situation that Tooru and Kobayashi are in. With both of them having their own unique troubles when it comes to self-worth as well as understanding and empathizing with others, it’s been an absolute blast watching them grow into better people together. And if I had a complaint (and it’s a small one at that), it would be that I’d like to see more into Tooru’s past as well as see a certain character. Notice how I said “it would” because there’s still ample time for all these things to happen!

And while I could go on and on about all the other things that I love about this show, let me just end with a quick remark about the original topic of family. I think by this point in the show it’s clear — while Kobayashi, Tooru, and Kanna are a family I think you could say everyone at this point comprises one big Maid Dragon family.

Looking Ahead

And with that let’s bring this post to a close before things get too long. I’ll catch you guys next week for more Maid Dragon goodness. See you then!

 

Preview

43 Comments

  1. This was a great episode and I enjoyed it immensely. Kanna was too cute, asking Kobayashi to take time off work to attend the sports festival. I expected things to get messy, what with Kanna’s misinterpretations of Riko’s explanation of what the sports festival actually entails, but was happy to see Kanna show such restraint.

    Hikarub
    Reply

  5. Yeah… They’ve definitely completely cut Iruru.

    She was originally the one that instigated Kanna to get attention from Kohbayashi another way. They turned parents day into a sports festival and cut all mention of Iruru’s character. She definitely wont make it into the anime.

    This also guarantees that the anime will not get a second season. Iruru’s very important to the plot and w/o her they really can’t keep going.

    That’s… kinda sad tbh. The manga scanlators have lost motivation to work on the manga because the anime’s doing well so I doubt that’ll come back and the anime has no intention of going very far into the source. It’s kinda disappointing.

    TitanAnteus
    Reply

    2. How many of Kyoani adaptations are actually faithful to the source, covering events as they’re told in the source? Kyoani’s a good studio for animation, but when it comes to making faithful adaptations, they suck. They ALWAYS introduce some change

      bassgs435
      Reply

      1. KyoAni does this a lot, but it just puzzles me that not only do they detour into an anime original story or adapt something from a spin-off book when there is ample material they can still adapt from the main story, but they do it all the time!

        starss
        Reply

    3. well, they can still insert iruru by making an original episode (with the plot not in manga) then go back to following the manga.

      either way, yes more likely we will not see a second season of this anime. if the material is to be based, we are yet to see a major plot of sort. and if i am to PREDICT what is the ending, more likely it will be when tooru and the dragons go back to their world.

      Jeffers
      Reply

    4. I’ve actually been SUPER concerned about how they’d introduce Iruru.

      With the type of story they’ve been telling thus far, I feel like you’d need at least two episodes to really handle introducing and building up Iruru properly.

      Who knows though — maybe she’ll make a surprise appearance.

      Takaii
      Reply

  6. Well, we got more Kanna than ever before this week, and I can confirm that I am now lying in the hospital bed after a heart attack and a diagnosis of diabetes. 😀 Thanks, anime. It was worth it!

    starss
    Reply

  8. An Question for the Kanna-san fans…

    Do she perhaps has some kind of Mental Power? I mean, in this Rope jumping contest, she could easily let the group jump in Sync, if she “helps” them to jump… or the Kinds learn this Sync group plays with help of an Music, while they doing their stuff, they “dancing” (in their minds) to the music…

    Worldwidedepp
    Reply

  9. This episode was like a propaganda project to tell young men and women who’re not interested in propagating who to get off the screen and go have real relationships and children, lol.

    PO
    Reply

  11. saikawa’s reaction when kanna is close to her is normal… kanna is a very effing super effective bio-weapon that can induce diabetes to all people that she get’s contacted with.

    Jeffers
    Reply

  14. Hell, you could take out the fact that they’re dragons and this would still be a great show. I thought this show would just be about Tohru but Kanna is what’s making this great. Amazing how these two have changed Kobayashi’s life for the better while she has done the same for them, but none of those changes is really earth shattering. I just feel better after watching an episode like this.

    Bear
    Reply

  15. Funny to see all the jealous mothers in the crowd as Lucoa cheers on for Shouta-kun. And it seems Shouta’s parents are just nonchalantly sitting there as Lucoa’s jumping behind them, in approval of her as Shouta’s familiar.

    jcoe
    Reply

  16. Kobayashi is a F### of a lot stronger than she appears.
    She struggled with her decision to go; she committed herself
    to going (not giving up her work responsibility in the process);
    and she engaged herself in Kanna’s activity when she went.

    None of this “Work Comes First” or no, “My Family Comes First” BS.
    She choose both, made her decision, not recklessly and knew her limits,
    and gracefully powered through everything.

    Who wouldn’t want that in a person – in ourselves!

    Great episode!

    mac65
    Reply

    1. I think the best way to describe that moment when you realized just how amazing Kobayashi is was when Takiya mentions that Kobayashi decided she wanted to go to the sports festival but she corrects him and says she decided she ought to go (implying this about wanting or not but more of I should be there and I’m working to be there).

      Takaii
      Reply

  17. Ep 10:

    Nice done

    Also, it is good that Kanna understand to control her Powers, to avoid harm any Human. Imagine an Girl with these strong Powers, giving an “slap” to an merely Human. Fafnir would be proud

    So Bis Sister and “Mother” here, is an anchor for her restraining

    Worldwidedepp
    Reply

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