Manga Monday: RuriDragon
High School is hard enough when you don't randomly breathe fire
(Yes, I know it’s Tuesday. Pretend it’s Monday for me.)
It’s not easy to blend everyday life with supernatural shenanigans—at least not in a way that elevates both—but RuriDragon by Masaoki Shindo does so with aplomb.
Where to read: Viz/Shounen Jump
Demographic: Shounen (I promise more shoujo is coming)
Ruri, like many teens, finds it hard to connect with her classmates, doesn't know what to do with her future, and likes hanging out with her mom a bit more than she would probably admit. She also wakes up one day with horns.
Turns out she’s half dragon.
Things only get more interesting from there. You thought being called on during class was bad, how about getting called on in class and accidentally incinerating your classmate's hair.
What really makes RuriDragon a stand out series isn’t the comedy (though that certainly helps), but how it uses Ruri’s newly discovered dragon-ness to show her the preciousness of her ordinary life.
She builds connections, tries new things, and pushes herself out of her comfort zone. She realizes her life is worth fighting for, even against her own natural apathy, and I can’t wait to see how she evolves from here.
